^^M 


._.iL. 


BR  325  .F7313  1916 
Freytag,  Gustav,  1816-1895 
Doctor  Luther 


Martin   Luther 
As  Junker  Georg 

I'rom    a    Painting 
by   Lucas   Cranach 


DOCTOR 
LUTH  ER 

By 
GUSTAV  FREYTAG 

Translated  by 
G.  C  L.  RIEMER,  Ph.D. 

Professor  at  Bucknell  University 


PHILADELPHIA,  PA. 
THE  LUTHERAN   PUBLICATION  SOCIETY 


Copyright,  1916,  by 
THE  LUTHERAN  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY 


TO  MY  MOTHER 


CONTENTS 

PAce 
GusTAV  Freytag   9 

At  the  Beginning  of  the  XVI  Century.  .     13 

Struggles  in  the  Soul  of  a  Young  Man 
AND  His  Entrance  Into  the  Monas- 
tery      30 

Out  of  Monastic  Confinement  Into 
Battle    52 

Doctor  Luther  78 

Biographic  and  Geographic  Notes 193 

Table  of  Dates    200 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 


Martin  Luther Frontispiece 

Hans  Luther 32 

Margarethe  Luther  64 

Philip  Melanchthon  96 

Frederick  the  Wise 128 

Katharina  von  Bora 160 


GUSTAV  FREYTAG 

Few  men  have  been  blessed  with  more  and 
greater  advantages  of  life  than  the  author 
of  Doctor  Luther.  With  both  grandfathers 
Lutheran  pastors,  with  a  practicing  physician 
and  public  servant  as  father,  with  one  uncle 
a  Lutheran  pastor,  teaching  him  his  prepara- 
tory studies,  and  with  still  another  uncle,  a 
lawyer,  giving  words  of  counsel  and  advice, 
Gustav  Freytag  began  his  career.  And  an 
enviable  one  he  made  It. 

After  a  course  In  language  and  literature 
at  the  universities  of  Breslau  and  Berlin,  he 
himself  tried  the  life  of  a  university  profes- 
sor. His  chosen  field,  however,  did  not  con- 
tinue to  satisfy  him;  he  wanted  to  teach  his- 
tory Instead.  But  finding  the  change  imprac- 
ticable, he  took  up  journalism,  and  soon  at- 
tained a  lofty  position.  In  fact,  he  was 
largely  instrumental  In  raising  journalism 
from  a  place  of  ridicule  and  contempt  to  one 
of  appreciation  and  respect.  It  was  also 
during  this  period  of  over  twenty  years 
(1848-1870)  that  he  wrote,  as  editor  of  the 
Border  Messenger^  the  works  which  estab- 
lished his  reputation. 

Among  his  works  there  are  four  which 
may    be    called    masterpieces.      They    have 

9 


GUSTAV  FREYTAG 


brought  him  enduring  fame.  The  Journal- 
ists (1853)  was  an  immediate  success.  It  is 
still  very  popular  and  ranks  among  the  best 
comedies  of  German  literature.  As  novelist 
Freytag  invites  comparison  with  Charles 
Dickens.  He,  too,  has  a  vein  of  humor, 
power  of  observation  and  a  gift  of  psycho- 
logic analysis.  Two  of  his  novels  are  ex- 
ceptional products.  The  one.  Debit  and 
Credit  (1856),  is  most  widely  read;  it  has 
always  enjoyed  the  greatest  popularity.  In 
It  there  are  portrayals  of  representatives  of 
the  middle  class  while  at  their  work.  By 
revealing  the  poetry  in  the  performance  of 
their  daily  tasks,  Freytag  ennobled  labor  and 
took  from  routine  Its  pressing  burden.  The 
second  novel,  the  Ancestors  (1872-1880), 
upon  which  much  of  Freytag's  renown  rests, 
is  historical.  In  parts,  at  least,  It  is  univer- 
sally admired  and  is  to-day  enjoyed  as  a  pop- 
ular national  epic.  Consisting  of  six  vol- 
umes. It  Is  a  work  of  large  dimensions.  Its 
purpose  is  national  and  patriotic.  It  teaches 
that  the  Germans  may  well  be  proud  of  their 
past,  that  their  history  shows  an  unbroken 
development. 

But  the  work  that  holds  the  central  posi- 
tion among  Freytag^s  productions  Is,  after 
all,  his  Pictures  of  the  German  Past  (1859- 

10 


GUSTAV  FREYTAG 


1867).  It  has  been  assigned  a  unique  place 
in  the  world's  literature.  Written  during  the 
best  years  of  his  life,  for  he  was  born  in  1816 
and  died  in  1895,  these  five  volumes  of  his- 
toric pictures  show  Freytag  a  masterful 
teacher  and  interpreter  of  his  nation's  his- 
tory. He  gave  us  a  masterpiece  of  historic 
depiction.  We  know  from  his  own  confes- 
sion how  he  proceeded  in  its  production. 
From  documents  and  records,  left  us,  for  the 
most  part,  by  typical  representatives  of  the 
middle  and  lower  classes,  we  learn  the  story 
of  the  inner  life  and  the  outer  conditions  of 
the  German  past.  In  testimonials  of  this 
nature,  sounding  real  and  sincere,  there  Is  a 
direct  appeal  to  our  hearts  and  our  deepest 
interest.  We  are  afforded  a  valuable  guide 
to  the  appreciation  of  the  character  of  the 
German  people.  Many  of  the  Pictures  are 
masterpieces,  such  as  the  one  on  Charles  the 
Great,  on  Monasticism,  on  the  Crusades,  on 
the  Thirty  Years'  War,  and  on  Frederick  the 
Great.  Of  all,  however,  the  one  on  Doctor 
Luther  Is  the  best. 

As  a  literary  artist  Freytag  stands  exceed- 
ingly high.  His  sentence  structure  is  clear, 
orderly,  and  concise.  And  thru  it  all  there 
runs  an  elegance  void  of  ambiguity  and 
doubt. 

11 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


AT  THE  BEGINNING  OF  THE  XVI 
CENTURY 

The  space  of  time  from  1500  to  1600  em- 
braces the  greatest  spiritual  movement  that 
has  ever  stirred  a  nation  to  its  innermost 
depths.  For  all  time,  according  to  human 
judgment,  has  this  century  impressed  its 
stamp  upon  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the 
Germans.  A  period  without  a  parallel  in 
history,  during  which  a  great  nation  sought 
with  diligence  and  fear  after  its  God,  after 
peace  for  its  oppressed  souls,  after  moral 
and  spiritual  content  for  a  life  which  it  found 
to  be  without  charm,  troubled,  miserable, 
and  corrupt.  Longing  for  recognition  of 
truth  and  ardent  striving  after  eternal  love 
were  to  become  for  a  long  time  the  predom- 
inant characteristic  of  the  Germans. 

An  effort  such  as  this,  to  shape  anew  their 
whole  life  by  means  of  a  deep  conception  of 
the  eternal,  brought  also  the  political  devel- 
opment of  the  Germans  into  a  course  which 
is  sharply  opposed  to  that  of  other  great 

13 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


civilized  nations.  For  this  passionate  strug- 
gle taxed  the  whole  strength  of  the  nation 
even  to  uttermost  exhaustion;  it  delayed  the 
political  concentration  of  Germany  for  cen- 
turies; the  most  dreadful  internal  wars,  a 
deathlike  weakness  followed  it;  it  made  a 
deep  rent  between  Germans  and  Germans, 
between  the  modern  epoch  and  the  Middle 
Ages.  It  brought  it  about  that  a  large  part 
of  the  German  people,  which  can  trace  its 
history  in  unbroken  succession  even  to  the 
years  of  Ariovistus  and  Arminius,  may  at 
present  look  upon  the  period  of  the  Hohen- 
staufen,  yes,  the  ^'Administrative  Council'*  of 
Maximilian  I,  as  a  dark  legend;  for  the  for- 
mation of  its  states,  its  laws,  its  local  statutes 
are  scarcely  as  old  as  those  of  the  North 
American  free  states.  The  oldest  among 
the  proud  nations  which  rose  upon  the  ruins 
of  the  Roman  empire,  is  now  in  many  re- 
spects the  youngest  member  of  the  family  of 
European  states.  But  however  pregnant 
with  fate  that  struggle  of  the  sixteenth  cen- 
tury became  for  the  political  formation  of 
the  fatherland,  every  German  should,  never- 
theless, look  back  upon  it  with  reverence; 
for  to  it  we  owe  all  that  now  comprises  our 
pride  and  our  hope,  our  capacity  for  sacri- 
fice, our  morals,  the  freedom  of  the  German 

14 


AT  BEGINNING  OF  XVI  CENTURY 

mind,  an  Irresistible  impulse  toward  truth, 
the  unrivaled  method  of  our  scholarship, 
our  art;  finally,  also,  the  great  obligation 
which  our  ancestors  laid  upon  our  souls,  the 
duty  of  completing  that  in  which  they  failed. 

He  who  endeavors  to  look  into  the  souls 
of  the  Germans,  at  that  time,  when  the  six- 
teenth century  was  rising,  will  perceive  a  mys- 
terious restlessness  in  the  lower  strata  of  the 
people,  perhaps,  as  In  the  case  of  migrating 
birds  when  spring  approaches.  This  vague 
Impulse  frequently  became,  too,  the  ancient 
German  love  of  adventure.  The  number  of 
vagabonds,  young  and  old,  peddlers,  pil- 
grims, beggars,  strolling  scholars,  was  very 
large;  the  continuous  course  of  adventurers 
passed  thru  all  the  German  tribes  even 
into  the  lands  of  the  Slavs  in  the  East,  to 
France,  and,  above  all,  to  Italy.  Many 
things  conspired  In  making  the  poor  restless, 
unruly,  desirous  of  new  things. 

Wonderful  reports  resounded  from  the 
distance.  Far  away  in  the  distant  Mediter- 
ranean, upon  the  road  to  Jerusalem,  which 
German  pilgrims  still  sought  every  year,  a 
new  race,  a  new  faith,  had  forced  Itself  in, 
dismal  and  full  of  horror.  Every  pilgrim, 
coming  from  the  East,  would  report  in  the 
inns  concerning  the  wild  fighting  force  of  the 

15 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


Turk,  concerning  his  polygamy,  concerning 
the  Christian  children  which  he  carried  away 
and  raised  as  his  slaves,  concerning  the  dan- 
gers of  the  Christian  islands  and  sea  towns. 
And,  again,  on  the  other  side.  In  the  West, 
there  arose  for  the  Imagination  out  of  the 
horror  of  the  unending  ocean  new  gold-fields, 
districts  like  Paradise,  tawny  peoples  which 
knew  nothing  of  God,    an  unending  booty 
and  dominion  for  the  believing  Christians. 
To  this  came  the  reports  from  Italy  itself, 
how  dissatisfied  with  the  pope  the  people  of 
southern  Europe  were,  how  bad  simony  was, 
how  wicked  the  princes  of  the  church. 

And  those  who  could  relate  such  things,  in 
town    and   country,    were    no    longer    timid 
merchants,  poor  pilgrims,  but  staunch,  sun- 
burned fellows  with  courageous  countenances 
and  sharp  weapons,  neighbors'  children  and 
trustworthy  people,    who   had   marched   to 
Italy  as  mercenaries  of  the  emperor,  had 
there  fought  with  Italians,   Spaniards,   and 
Swiss,  and  were  now  returning  with  booty, 
gold  pieces  in  their  purses,  and  golden  chains 
of  knightly  orders  about  their  necks.     With 
veneration  the  youth  of  the  town  would  stare 
at  the  foot-soldier  who  thrust  his  halberd  into 
the  ground  before  the  inn  and  took  posses- 
sion of  the  hostelry  for  himself  and  his  guests 

16 


AT  BEGINNING  OF  XVI  CENTURY 

like  a  nobleman  or  prince;  for  he,  the  peas- 
ant son,  had  trodden  the  Italian  knights  be- 
neath his  feet;  he  had  run  his  hand  deep 
into  the  money  chest  of  an  Italian  prince ;  he 
had  received  full  pardon  for  his  German 
blows  from  the  pope,  yes,  as  was  whispered, 
a  secret  blessing  which  made  him  invulner- 
able to  thrust  and  blow.  A  presentiment  of 
their  own  strength  and  valor  passed  for  the 
first  time  after  a  long  period  thru  the 
souls  of  the  private  soldiers.  They,  too, 
were  men,  in  their  huts  hung  the  hunting- 
spears  and  on  their  belts  their  long  knives. 
And  what  was  their  condition  at  home !  The 
work  of  their  hands  and  teams  the  noble 
squire  demanded  for  his  field;  to  him  be- 
longed the  wood  and  game  in  the  forest,  the 
fish  in  the  water;  even  in  case  the  farmer 
died,  the  former  took  from  his  heir  the  best 
head  of  the  herd,  or  money  in  place  of 
it.  The  peasants  had  also  been  delivered 
thru  Christ's  death,  and  made  free;  and 
now  the  majority  of  them  were  bondmen 
of  the  lord  of  the  manor.  In  every  feud 
that  concerned  the  squire,  they  were  the  vic- 
tims; foreign  mounted  troops  would  then  at- 
tack their  cattle,  shoot  the  arrow  even  at 
them,  and  throw  them  into  a  dark  hole  until 
they  paid  ransom.     And  again,  after  their 

17 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


sheaves  and  every  hidden  florin  the  Church 
was  wont  to  spy.  Dishonest,  cunning,  and 
voluptuous  as  the  Italians,  was  also  the  dea- 
con who  rode  thru  their  villages  with 
his  hunting-hawks,  with  wenches  and 
mounted  soldiers;  their  priest  whom  they 
had  no  right  to  choose  or  dismiss,  who  se- 
duced their  wives  or  lived  in  a  scandalous 
household  with  housekeeper  and  children; 
the  mendicant  friar  who  made  himself  at 
home  In  their  kitchens  and  demanded  the 
meat  in  the  chimney,  the  eggs  In  the  basket, 
for  his  cloister.  A  dull  fermentation  came 
into  the  country  parishes  of  southern  Ger- 
many; even  at  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  cen- 
tury local  uprisings,  forerunners  of  the  peas- 
ants' war,  were  beginning. 

But  even  greater  influence  was  exercised 
by  the  new  art  thru  which  even  the  poor- 
est man  could  become  wise  and  learned.  In 
the  middle  of  the  last  century  an  invention 
had  been  made  on  the  Rhine  for  multiplying 
written  words  a  thousandfold.  For  several 
hundred  years  patterns  had  already  been 
printed  with  wooden  tablets,  sometimes  sin- 
gle pages  of  writing  had  been  cut  out  In  them ; 
finally  a  burgher  conceived  the  Idea  that  en- 
tire books  could  be  printed  with  molded  let- 
ters.    It  was  of  importance  for  the  imme- 

18 


AT  BEGINNING  OF  XVI  CENTURY 

diately  succeeding  years  that  the  new  inven- 
tion was  developed  independently  of  the 
clergy;  yes,  In  opposition  to  the  monkish 
copyists,  as  an  invention  of  the  middle  class. 
For  it  immediately  attained  in  consequence 
of  this  the  sound  industrial  position  which 
the  labor  and  traffic  of  a  trade  were  able 
to  give;  with  wondrous  rapidity  it  was  car- 
ried by  the  strolling  journeymen  Into  many 
German  towns  and  foreign  lands.  Along- 
side of  it  the  new  printing  of  cuts  with 
wooden  blocks.  Besides  the  large  printed 
works  of  the  fifteenth  century,  the  technical 
skill  of  which  we  admire  even  now,  there 
were  spread  soon  In  the  houses  of  city  dwell- 
ers, yes,  In  the  huts  of  the  peasants,  small, 
cheap  ones;  calendars,  remedies  against  sick- 
ness, organizations  of  pious  brotherhoods, 
moral  and  prayer  books;  at  the  same  time  In 
quick  succession  small  political  pamphlets 
and  comic  literature — carnival  jokes,  fool 
pranks,  popular  poems.  The  Impulse  to  learn 
to  read  became  powerful;  even  the  country- 
man learned  with  an  accuracy  which  the  chance 
oral  report  had  seldom  had,  of  a  mysterious 
prophecy  or  apparition,  of  a  carnival  play  at 
Nuremberg;  full  of  faith  he  would  spell  new 
prayers  and  promises  of  his  church,  and 
with  astonishment  he  took  In  so  distinctly,  as 

19 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


if  he  had  seen  it  himself,  that  the  dukes  of 
Bavaria  had  subjected  themselves  to  the 
power  of  King  Maximilian.  To  the  com- 
mon people  the  gate  had  been  opened  for  in- 
tellectual acquisition,  and  with  zeal  the 
masses  sought  their  salvation  in  this  direc- 
tion. 

But  the  ancient  erudition  of  the  church, 
which  had  been  wont  to  take  the  son  of  the 
people,  who  was  desirous  of  learning,  into 
the  cloisters,  was  in  the  depth  of  decline. 
The  learning  of  the  Middle  Ages  still  sat 
with  pretension  on  the  professorial  chairs  of 
the  German  universities,  but  it  had  been  ossi- 
fied into  dead  formulas  and  scholastic  subtle- 
ties. The  acquaintance  with  ancient  lan- 
guages was  slight,  Hebrew  and  Greek  almost 
unknown;  writing  and  teaching  were  done  in 
barbarous  monk-latin ;  the  ancient  sources  of 
serious  learning,  the  Bible  and  church  fath- 
ers, Roman  historians,  institutes,  and  pan- 
dects, the  Greek  texts  of  Aristotle  and  of  the 
writers  on  nature  and  the  art  of  healing  were 
lying  in  dust-covered  manuscripts;  the  medie- 
val commentators  and  systematizers  were 
alone  again  and  again  expounded,  learned  by 
heart,  and  combated.  Such  was  the  state  of 
things  in  Germany.  In  Italy,  however,  since 
more  than  a  hundred  years  a  culture  had 

20 


AT  BEGINNING  OF  XVI  CENTURY 


arisen  thru  the  study  of  a  few  Roman 
and  Greek  poets,  historians,  and  philoso- 
phers, which  sought  freedom  and  nobility 
of  soul  far  from  the  paths  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church.  Joy  in  the  beauty  of  the 
Latin  language  and  poetry,  admiration  of 
the  skilled  dialectics  of  Cicero,  astonishment 
at  the  powerful  life  of  the  Roman  peo- 
ple exalted  the  best  men  beyond  the  Alps. 
With  rapidity  their  poetry,  writing  of  his- 
tory, science  of  law,  art  of  healing  climbed 
on  high  upon  the  ancient  supports.  It  seemed 
there  as  If  the  ancient  Roman  life  was  des- 
tined to  rise  again  out  of  its  grave;  and  a 
conflict,  lasting  two  hundred  years,  began 
between  the  shades  of  Augustus  and  Virgil 
and  the  shade  of  St.  Peter,  which  was  gloom- 
ily hovering  over  the  seven-hilled  city.  The 
clergy,  tyrannical,  narrow,  and  Immoral  as 
they  were  at  that  time  In  Italy,  sank  into  the 
deepest  contempt;  the  prominent  ecclesiastics 
themselves,  lacking  In  discipline  and  sense  of 
duty,  were  seized  by  the  magic  of  the  new 
culture.  And  the  Roman  church  offered  the 
strange  spectacle  of  its  highest  dignitaries 
laughing  In  their  hearts  at  the  belief  in  the 
Crucified  One,  whose  representatives  upon 
earth  they  claimed  to  be,  and  shamelessly 
making  capital  out  of  the  credulity  of  the 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


Christians  for  the  indulgence  of  infamous 
sensuousness,  or  the  furtherance  of  family 
interests. 

Not  until  after  the  invention  of  printing, 
during  the  wars  which  the  Germans  fought 
upon  the  battle-fields  of  the  peninsula,  did 
the  new  humanistic  culture  gradually  come 
to  Germany.  But  it  found  here  a  different 
national  character.  The  upright  mind  and 
the  simple  heart  of  the  Germans  worked  it 
up  more  soberly  and  yet  with  more  genuine 
feeling,  and,  in  accordance  with  the  German 
custom  of  that  time,  in  a  methodical  and 
guildlike  manner.  Assiduously  was  the  Latin 
language,  which  appeared  to  the  Germans 
like  a  new  discovery,  studied  in  Latin  schools 
and  spread  by  means  of  text-books.  The 
intense  and  extended  study  of  the  foreign 
grammar,  which  was  necessary  in  Germany, 
served  the  mind  as  a  discipline.  The  mem- 
ory and  mental  acumen  were  greatly  exerted; 
the  logical  side  of  the  language  exercised 
more  influence  than  the  phonetic,  the  grand- 
eur and  wisdom  of  the  ancient  subject-matter 
more  than  the  beauty  and  elegance  of  the 
form;  the  gymnastics  of  the  learning  mind 
In  Germany  had  to  be  more  intense;  in  re- 
turn for  the  same  the  gain  was  more  endur- 
ing, alone  because  of  the  fact  that  mastery 

22 


AT  BEGINNING  OF  XVI  CENTURY 

over  two  fundamentally  different  languages 
was  now  being  acquired. 

In  a  short  time  German  scholarship  was 
more  than  equal  to  the  Romance.  As  its 
most  distinguished  representatives,  however, 
were  commonly  considered  John  Reuchlin, 
who  wrote  the  first  Hebrew  grammar,  and 
Erasmus  of  Rotterdam,  who  impressed  the 
stamp  of  his  fine  ironical  mind,  thru  the 
magic  of  his  culture,  upon  the  whole  school 
of  humanists  in  Germany,  a  few  of  them  only 
being  excepted.  The  German  humanists,  too, 
poured  forth  their  enthusiasm  in  Latin 
verses;  in  their  case,  too,  Jupiter,  Minerva, 
and  the  ruler  of  the  sun,  Sol,  took  in  strange 
manner  the  place  of  the  Christian  God,  the 
Virgin  Mary,  and  the  great  light  of  the  Mo- 
saic record.  They,  too,  were  at  times  led  to 
secret  speculation  concerning  the  nature  of 
the  Deity  thru  their  acquaintance  with 
ancient  philosophy;  they,  too,  stood  as  a 
whole  in  vigorous  opposition  to  the  corrup- 
tions of  the  Roman  church,  but  their  oppo- 
sition contained  some  factors  which  distin- 
guished it  from  that  of  the  Italians.  It  was 
ennobled  by  German  sentiment.  To  be  sure, 
many  humanistic  school  teachers  considered 
the  German  language  barbarous;  they  Latin- 
ized their  names  and  took  unto  themselves 

23 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


the  liberty  of  calling  their  fellow-country- 
men in  confidential  letters  unpolished;  but 
they,  the  representatives  of  Roman  learning, 
were  the  most  ardent  haters  of  Italian  trick- 
ery and  Immorality  and  of  the  despotic 
haughtiness  with  which  the  Roman  priest 
looked  upon  their  German  national  character. 
And  they  themselves  did  not  cease  being 
good  Christians.  While  deriding  or  censur- 
ing the  simple  priests,  they  carefully  searched 
in  antiquity  for  examples  of  piety,  devout 
sentiment,  and  manly  virtue.  And  together 
with  their  unceasing  attacks  upon  the  sins  of 
the  Italian  clergy,  they  ventured  to  under- 
take, too,  with  hesitation,  caution,  and  con- 
scientiousness, an  historic  criticism  of  the 
sources  on  which  the  claims  of  the  pope  were 
founded.  A  bond  of  heartfelt  friendship 
united  them  in  a  great  common  body.  Malig- 
nantly persecuted  by  the  representatives  of 
ancient  scholasticism  and  its  allies,  the  Ro- 
manists, and  the  courtiers,  they,  too,  gained 
confederates  everywhere,  in  the  burgher 
houses  of  the  imperial  cities,  at  the  princely 
courts,  in  the  proximity  of  the  emperor,  even 
in  chapters  and  bishoprics. 

But,  of  course,  the  culture  of  the  human- 
ists found  as  yet  few  pledges  of  permanence 
in  the  life  of  the  Germans  itself.    Too  for- 

24 


AT  BEGINNING  OF  XVI  CENTURY 

eign  was  the  basis  of  their  culture  for  the 
real  needs  and  spiritual  life  of  the  people; 
too  arbitrary  and  vague  the  ideals  which 
they  had  fetched  for  their  lives  cut  of  the 
antique  world;  not  favorable  to  the  devel- 
opment of  their  character  was  the  occupa- 
tion, as  yet  fanciful  and  lacking  In  serious 
purpose,  with  a  world  past  and  gone,  the  real 
content  of  which  they  were  too  little  ac- 
quainted with.  As  the  time  came  when  the 
whole  nation  was  torn  Into  two  hostile  camps 
for  that  which  was  considered  of  the  highest 
value,  when  It  was  necessary  for  the  educated 
to  take  sides  In  such  a  combat  and  to  concen- 
trate their  own  desires  on  definite  demands, 
when  the  glow  of  manly  conviction  became 
more  weighty  than  the  superior  smile  from 
an  Independent  point  of  view,  the  majority 
of  them  did  not  succeed  in  keeping  them- 
selves pure  and  secure.  A  few,  to  be  sure, 
became  champions  In  the  war  of  faith; 
others,  however,  offended  by  the  unpleasant 
and  limited  features  of  a  new  doctrine,  fell 
back  to  the  old  church  which  they  had  so 
severely  condemned  before.  The  most 
noble-minded  and  enthusiastic  person  of 
parts  belonging  to  this  school,  Ulrich  von 
Hutten,  who  was  most  spiritedly  German 
and  who  attached  himself  most  ardently  to 

25 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


the  teachings  of  Luther,  met  a  tragic  fate, 
however,  in  consequence  of  his  devotion  to 
the  popular  trend. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  century,  however, 
the  humanists  almost  alone  waged  the  war 
against  the  hostile  oppression  beneath  which 
the  nation  was  groaning.  The  storm  clouds 
which  they  were  gathering  in  their  airy 
realm  against  the  enemies  of  German  inde- 
pendence, sank  down  upon  the  people  In 
countless  fructifying  drops;  even  what  they 
wrote  In  Latin  was  not  wholly  lost  to  the 
multitude;  the  ready  rhymers  of  the  cities 
did  not  tire  in  spreading  witty  expressions 
and  vehement  attacks  of  the  humanists  In  the 
form  of  didactic  rhymes,  merry  tales,  and 
plays. 

In  the  Latin  schools  the  mysterious  knowl- 
edge could  be  acquired,  which  raised  Its  pos- 
sessor out  of  the  oppressed,  wretched,  and 
joyless  mass  of  the  people.  Consequently 
the  desire  to  become  learned  became  pow- 
erful In  the  souls  of  the  people.  Children 
and  half-grown  lads  journeyed  from  the  re- 
motest valleys  into  the  unknown  world,  to 
seek  learning.  Where  there  was  a  Latin 
school,  near  a  bishopric  or  in  the  rich  parish 
of  a  large  town,  thither  the  children  of  the 
people   wended  their  way,   often   amid  the 

26 


AT  BEGINNING  OF  XVI  CENTURY 

greatest  sufferings  and  deprivations,  decivil- 
ized  and  demoralized  by  the  troublesome 
wandering  upon  the  street  and  by  the  uncer- 
tainty of  their  hves  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
school.  For  the  founders  who  had  estab- 
lished the  school,  or  the  citizens  of  the  towns, 
gave  such  strangers,  to  be  sure,  at  times  shel- 
ter and  lodging  in  special  houses,  but  their 
subsistence  they  had  to  obtain  for  the  most 
part  by  begging. 

From  among  the  thousands  that  thronged 
to  the  Latin  school,  the  growing  movement 
against  the  abuses  of  the  church  gained  the 
most  zealous  novices.  With  untiring  activ- 
ity these  children  of  the  people  bore  new 
events  and  new  ideas  from  house  to  house. 
Many  of  them  did  not  get  as  far  as  the  uni- 
versity; they  endeavored  to  support  them- 
selves by  tutoring,  as  proof-readers  in  print- 
ing offices.  The  majority  of  the  city,  and 
later  of  the  town  schools,  were  supplied  with 
such  as  read  Virgil  and  understood  the  bitter 
humor  of  the  mournful  pamphlet  "^f  mise- 
ria  plebanorum'^  ("concerning  the  unfortu- 
nate condition  of  the  lower  clergy").  So 
large  became  their  number  that  the  reform- 
ers soon  gave  them  the  urgent  counsel,  to 
learn  a  trade  even  late  in  life,  in  order  to  sup- 
port themselves  in  honorable  manner.     And 

27 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


many  members  of  the  guilds  in  German  cities 
were  able  to  provide  the  papal  bulls  with 
glosses  and  to  translate  them  to  their  fellow- 
citizens;  subtle  theological  questions  were 
also  passionately  discussed  In  the  drinklng- 
rooms.  Huge  was  the  influence  which  such 
men  exercised  upon  the  small  circles  of  the 
people.  A  few  years  later  they  became,  to- 
gether with  poor  students  of  theology  who 
were  spreading  as  preachers  over  all  the 
lands  of  the  German  tongue,  part  and  parcel 
of  a  large  society;  and  it  was  these  demo- 
crats of  the  new  doctrine  that  represented  the 
pope  as  antichrist  in  the  popular  plays,  made 
speeches  in  the  squadrons  of  the  revolting 
peasants,  attacked  the  ancient  church  in 
printed  speeches,  popular  songs,  and  coarse 
dialogues. 

In  such  a  manner  they,  too,  prepared  what 
was  to  come.  But  no  matter  how  well  the 
humanists  in  their  exalted  position  proved 
that  the  church  interpreted  many  passages 
of  the  Holy  Scriptures  incorrectly,  and  how 
humorously  they  derided  the  tool  of  the  in- 
quisitors, the  baptized  Jew,  Pfefferkorn,  with 
his  pretty  little  wife;  however  zealously  the 
little  school-teachers  carried  about  among  the 
common  people  colloquies  of  Erasmus  con- 
cerning fasting  and  the  breaking  of  fasting, 

28 


AT  BEGINNING  OF  XVI  CENTURY 

concerning  two  dying  persons,  and  the  book 
on  the  education  of  children — their  new 
learning  alone  did  not  give  life  to  the  refor- 
mation and  the  spiritual  freedom  of  the  Ger- 
mans; the  sources  of  this  powerful  stream 
He  deeper;  they  spring  from  the  depths  of  the 
German  soul  and  are  brought  to  the  light  by 
a  mysterious  trait  of  the  heart,  in  order  to 
transform,  by  destroying  here  and  fructify- 
ing there,  the  life  of  the  nation. 

29 


STRUGGLES  IN  THE  SOUL  OF  A 
YOUNG  MAN  AND  HIS  EN- 
TRANCE INTO  THE  MONASTERY 

So  much  wickedness  was  In  the  world,  so 
severe  the  pressure  that  weighed  heavily 
upon  the  poor;  coarse  the  inordinate  longing 
for  pleasure,  unbounded  the  covetousness  of 
ecclesiastics  and  laymen.  Hard  was  the  work 
of  the  German  from  morning  until  evening, 
in  summer  and  winter;  now  the  plague  came, 
now  failure  of  crops  and  famine;  incompre- 
hensible was  the  world  system,  and  lacking  In 
love  his  earthly  life.  Salvation  from  this 
wretchedness  was  only  with  God.  Before 
Him  all  things  earthly  were  small  and  as 
nothing — emperor  and  pope,  the  wisdom  of 
man  as  vain  as  the  blossoms  of  the  field.  If 
He  was  merciful.  He  could  rescue  man  from 
the  distress  of  this  life  and  compensate  him 
in  eternal  blessedness  for  that  which  he  had 
suffered  here.  But  such  mercy,  how  was  It  to 
be  attained?  What  virtue  of  weak  man 
could  hope  to  acquire  the  boundless  treasure 
of  divine  favor?  Man  had  been  condemned, 
since  the  time  of  Adam,  to  will  the  good  and 
do  the  evil.  Vain  was  his  best  virtue;  the 
original  sin  was  his  curse,  and  it  was  not  due 
to  his  merit  If  God  showed  him  mercy. 

30 


STRUGGLES  OF  A  YOUNG  MAN 

Thus,  full  of  anxiety,  the  human  heart 
struggled  at  that  time.  But  from  the  holy 
records  of  the  Scriptures,  which  were  to  the 
people  like  a  dark  legend,  there  resounded 
from  afar  the  words,  Christ  is  love.  The 
reigning  church  knew  little  of  such  love;  in 
it  God  stood  very  far  removed  from  the 
human  soul,  the  image  of  the  Crucified  One 
was  concealed  behind  countless  saints  and  be- 
atified ones,  and  all  of  these  were  necessary 
as  intercessors  before  the  wrathful  God. 
And  yet  it  was  the  ardent  need  of  the  Ger- 
man character  to  feel  itself  in  a  heartfelt  re- 
lation to  the  Almighty;  inextinguishable  was 
the  longing  to  win  the  love  of  God.  Yes,  he 
who  did  penance,  he  who  struggled  with  fer- 
vent prayer  and  without  ceasing  for  the  love 
of  God,  found  in  his  meditations  on  and  de- 
votion to  God,  even  on  earth,  the  most 
blessed  feeling,  and  to  his  lot  fell,  too,  the 
hope  of  heavenly  blessedness.  But  such 
heartfelt  and  independent  striving  for  the 
grace  of  God  was  no  longer  taught  by  the 
hierarchy.  The  pope  asserted  that  he  was 
the  steward  of  the  inexhaustible  merits  of 
Christ;  and  the  church  taught  that  an  un- 
bounded treasure  of  good  works  (prayers, 
fastings,  and  atonements)  had  been  gathered 
also,  as  a  blessing  unto  others,  from  the  in- 

31 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


tercessions  of  the  saints  for  sinful  mankind, 
and  that  the  pope  administered  all  these 
treasures  and  could  give  of  the  same  to 
whomsoever  he  chose,  in  order  to  deliver  him 
from  his  sinfulness.  And  in  the  same  way- 
can  the  pope,  in  case  believers  unite  together 
to  form  a  pious  society,  then  grant  the  grace 
unto  such  a  brotherhood  that  the  merits  of 
the  saints  and  the  surplus  of  devout  church 
works  (prayers,  masses,  pilgrimages,  exer- 
cises of  penance,  gifts)  pass  from  the  one 
upon  the  other. 

Thus  were  formed  under  the  protection  of 
an  interceding  saint  the  pious  brotherhoods 
in  which  partnership  could  bring  that  about, 
which  the  weak  individual  found  impossible. 
Their  number  was  large;  in  the  year  1530 
Luther  still  bewails  the  fact  that  they  were 
countless. 

And  yet  one  must  assert  that  the  pious 
brotherhoods  at  the  beginning  of  the  six- 
teenth century  were  still  the  element,  the  most 
full  of  feeling,  which  the  declining  church 
of  the  Middle  Ages  had  to  offer  the  common 
people. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Indulgences  were 
the  most  putrid  spot  of  its  diseased  body. 
The  popes,  as  keepers  of  the  accumulated 
boundless  treasure  of  the  merits  of  Christ, 

32 


Hans  Liither 
Father  of  Martin  Lutlu-r 

Prom   a    Painting 
by  lAicas   Cianacli 


STRUGGLES  OF  A  YOUNG  MAN 

sold  the  orders  on  this  supply  to  the  believ- 
ers in  return  for  money.  To  be  sure,  in  the 
church  itself  the  better  conception  had  never 
entirely  disappeared,  that  even  the  pope  him- 
self could  not  forgive  sins,  but  only  issue  the 
exercises  of  penance  which  the  church  pre- 
scribed. But  it  was  well  for  those  who  taught 
such  doctrines,  isolated  men  of  the  univer- 
sities and  upright  ministers  of  a  community, 
to  take  care  not  to  bring  their  teachings  to 
the  point  of  open  opposition  to  the  traffic 
of  indulgence  peddlers.  For  what  did  the 
popes  of  the  fifteenth  century  care  for  the 
true  doctrine  of  their  own  church,  they  who 
were,  for  the  most  part,  infamous  reprobates 
and  unbelieving  heathens?  Woe  unto  him 
who  doubted  that  the  popes  had  the  right 
to  separate  him  from  God,  to  open  and  close 
the  door  of  heaven  for  him.  It  was  money 
that  they  coveted  without  ceasing  for  women 
and  varlets,  for  their  children  and  descend- 
ants, for  their  princely  household.  And  a 
dreadful  community  of  interests  existed 
among  them,  the  bishops,  and  the  fanatic 
party  In  the  orders  of  the  mendicant  friars. 
Nothing  had  made  Huss  and  Hussinetz  so 
unbearable  as  their  fight  against  the  indul- 
gences; the  doctrine  of  atonement  and  grace 
had  driven  the  great  Wessel  from  Paris  into 

33 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


exile;  and  It  was  monks,  selling  Indulgences, 
that  let  the  gray-haired  John  Vesalia  die  In 
the  prison  of  the  cloister  at  Mainz,  him  who 
first  gave  expression  to  the  lofty  words, 
"Why  am  I  to  believe  what  I  know?'^ 

It  is  well  known  how  the  traffic  In  indul- 
gences gained  ground  In  Germany  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  sixteenth  century,  and  with 
what  boldness  the  base  swindle  was  carried 
on.  When  Tetzel  entered  a  town  with  his 
chest  he  would  ride  with  a  large  following 
of  monks  and  priests,  a  well-fed,  haughty 
dominican;  the  bells  were  rung,  clergymen 
and  laymen  marched  with  reverence  to  meet 
him  and  conducted  him  to  the  church.  There 
his  large  red  cross  with  the  thorn-crown  and 
the  nail-holes  was  erected  In  the  nave  of  the 
church,  and  sometimes  the  devout  people 
were  allowed  to  see  how  the  red  blood  of 
the  Crucified  One  began  to  move  on  the  cross. 
Beside  the  cross  church  banners  would  be 
placed,  upon  them  the  pope's  coat-of-arms 
with  the  triple  crown;  before  the  cross  would 
stand  the  notorious  chest,  strongly  bound 
with  iron;  beside  It  on  the  one  side  a  pulpit 
upon  which  the  monk  would  explain  with 
rude  oratory  the  wondrous  power  of  his  In- 
dulgence, and  show  a  large  parchment  from 
the  pope  with  many  seals  attached;  on  the 

34 


STRUGGLES  OF  A  YOUNG  MAN 

other  side  the  pay-table  with  letters  of  Indul- 
gence, writing  material,  and  money  baskets; 
there  the  clerical  assistants  would  sell  eternal 
salvation  to  the  people  pressing  toward  them. 

Countless  were  the  abuses  of  the  church, 
against  all  the  offended  moral  feeling  of  the 
Germans  rebelled;  but  the  nucleus  of  the 
whole  movement  was  the  fight  against  the 
means  of  grace,  thru  which  the  heartfelt 
needs  of  the  German  people  were  so  dis- 
gustingly made  sport  of.  And  the  great 
work  of  the  reformers  Is  only  then  correctly 
understood  when  It  Is  taken  as  a  reaction  of 
the  heart  against  untruth,  absence  of  feel- 
ing, and  wanton  abuse  of  that  which  was 
most  sacred. 

Everywhere  In  Germany  the  opposition  be- 
gan to  stir.  But  as  yet  the  man  had  not  been 
found  who  was  destined  to  feel  to  the  end, 
in  an  Inner  conflict  of  long  duration,  all  the 
grief  and  all  the  longing  of  the  people  in 
order  to  become  himself  leader  of  his  nation, 
which  saw  with  enthusiasm  Its  most  peculiar 
nature  embodied  In  him  In  a  rounded-out 
character.  Only  two  years  before  he  had  be- 
come teacher  of  physics  and  dialectics  at  the 
new  university  of  Wittenberg,  and  just  now 
he  was  lying  In  the  dust  of  the  Roman  plain 
and  looking  with  pious  ecstasy  toward  the 

35 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


border  of  the  horizon  on  which  the  towers 
of  the  holy  city  were  rising. 

In  the  meantime  It  Is  the  feelings  of  one 
of  his  contemporaries,  of  a  young  Latin 
pupil,  from  which  we  shall  try  to  come  to  a 
realization  of  what  was  working  In  the  souls 
of  the  people. 

Frederic  Mecum,  In  Latin  Myconlus,  was 
the  son  of  honorable  burghers  from  Lichten- 
fels  In  Upper  Franconia,  born  in  1491.  At 
the  age  of  thirteen  years  he  went  to  the  Latin 
school  of  Annaberg,  a  mining  town  which 
was  then  flourishing;  there  he  experienced 
what  Is  here  related  In  his  own  words,  and 
entered  the  monastery  In  the  year  1510,  as 
a  young  man  of  nineteen  years.  As  Francis- 
can monk  he  was  one  of  the  first,  most  zeal- 
ous, and  most  loyal  followers  of  the  profes- 
sors at  Wittenberg.  He  left  the  order,  be- 
came a  preacher  of  the  new  church  In  Thurin- 
gia,  finally  rector  and  supervisor  of  church 
and  school  at  Gotha,  where  he  carried  the 
reformation  thru,  and  died  in  the  year 
1546.  To  Luther  he  stood  In  a  peculiar  re- 
lation. He  was  not  only  his  modest  and 
warm  friend  In  many  circumstances  of  pri- 
vate life,  but  In  his  relation  to  Luther  there 
was  even  unto  his  death  a  poetry  which 
brightened  his  whole  life.     During  the  most 


STRUGGLES  OI^^  A  YOUNG  MAN 


critical  period  of  his  youth,  seven  years  be- 
fore Luther  began  the  reformation,  the  im- 
age of  the  great  man  had  appeared  to  him 
in  a  dream  and  had  calmed  the  doubts  of  his 
troubled  heart;  and  in  the  dream's  trans- 
figuring glory  the  loyal,  pious  German  saw 
his  great  friend  henceforth  at  every  hour. 
But  a  further  circumstance  makes  the  person 
of  the  relater  interesting  to  us.  However  un- 
like his  defiant  friend  the  gentle,  finely  or- 
ganized man  may  be,  in  the  youthful  days 
of  both  there  is  a  striking  similarity.  And 
many  a  thing  which  has  remained  unknown 
to  us  in  the  younger  years  of  Luther,  finds 
Its  explanation  In  that  which  Myconius  tells 
about  the  years  of  his  own  youth.  Both  were 
poor  pupils  of  a  Latin  school;  both  were 
driven  into  the  cloister  thru  inner  conflicts 
and  youthful  fanaticism;  both  did  not  find 
there  the  peace  which  they  were  passionately 
searching  for,  but  new  doubts,  greater  con- 
flicts, years  of  torture,  anxious  uncertainty. 
For  both  the  shameless  Tetzel  became  the 
stumbling-block,  who  caused  their  hearts  to 
rebel  and  determined  the  whole  course  and 
activity  of  their  later  lives.  Finally,  both  died 
in  the  same  year;  Myconius  seven  weeks 
after  Luther,  after  he  had  been  awakened 
to  new  life  out  of  a  deadly  sickness  five  years 

37 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


before  by  a  letter  of  earnest  entreaty  written 
by  Luther. 

Frederic  Myconius  wrote  besides  theolog- 
ical writings  (he  allowed  little  to  be  printed) 
also  a  chronicle  of  his  time  in  German,  in 
which  his  own  activity  and  the  conditions  of 
Gotha  are  treated  in  the  greatest  detail. 
Well  known  and  frequently  printed  is  the 
dream  which  he  had  during  the  first  night 
after  his  entrance  into  the  cloister.  The 
apostle  Paul,  who  appeared  in  it  as  his  guide, 
had,  as  Myconius  believed  to  recognize  years 
later,  the  stature,  countenance,  and  voice  of 
Luther.  This  long  dream  is  composed  in 
Latin.  The  introductory  story  before  the 
samd  has,  however,  also  been  preserved  in 
a  contemporary  German  copy  in  a  manu- 
script of  the  ducal  library  at  Gotha.  Accord- 
ing to  the  latter  the  following  has  been  faith- 
fully translated  into  our  manner  of  speech, 
shortened  only  in  a  few  passages. 

"John  Tetzel,  of  Pirna  in  Meissen,  a  do- 
minican  friar,  was  a  powerful  peddler  of  in- 
dulgences or  the  remission  of  sins  by  the 
Roman  pope.  He  tarried  with  this  purpose 
of  his  for  two  years  in  the  city  of  Annaberg, 
new  at  that  time,  and  deceived  the  people  so 
much  that  they  all  believed  there  was  no 
other  way  of  obtaining  the  forgiveness  of 

38 


STRUGGLES  OF  A  YOUNG  MAN 

sins  and  eternal  life  except  to  make  amends 
with  our  works;  concerning  this  making  of 
amends,  however,  he  said  that  it  was  impos- 
sible. But  a  single  way  was  still  left,  that  Is, 
if  we  purchased  the  same  for  money  from 
the  Roman  pope,  bought  for  ourselves,  there- 
fore, the  pope's  indulgence,  which  he  called 
the  forgiveness  of  sins  and  a  certain  entrance 
into  eternal  life.  Here  I  might  tell  wonders 
upon  wonders  and  incredible  things,  what 
kind  of  sermons  I  heard  Tetzel  preach  these 
two  years  in  Annaberg,  for  I  heard  him 
preach  quite  diligently,  and  he  preached 
every  day;  I  could  repeat  his  sermons  to 
others,  too,  with  all  the  gestures  and  intona- 
tions; not  that  I  made  him  an  object  of  ridi- 
cule, but  I  was  entirely  in  earnest.  For  I  con- 
sidered everything  as  oracles  and  divine 
words,  which  one  had  to  believe,  and  what 
came  from  the  pope  I  regarded  as  if  coming 
from  Christ  Himself. 

"Finally,  at  Pentecost,  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord  1510,  he  threatened  he  would  lay  down 
the  red  cross  and  lock  the  door  of  heaven 
and  put  out  the  sun,  and  it  would  never  again 
come  about  that  the  forgiveness  of  sins  and 
eternal  life  could  be  obtained  for  so  little 
money.  Yes,  he  said,  It  was  not  to  be  ex- 
pected that  such  charitableness  of  the  pope 

39 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


should  come  hither  again  as  long  as  the  world 
would  stand.  He  also  exhorted  that  every- 
one should  attend  well  to  the  salvation  of 
his  own  soul  and  to  that  of  his  deceased  and 
living  friends.  For  now  was  at  hand,  ac- 
cording to  him,  the  day  of  his  salvation  and 
the  accepted  time.  And  he  said:  'Let  no 
one  under  any  condition  neglect  his  own  sal- 
vation; for  if  you  do  not  have  the  pope's 
letters,  you  cannot  be  absolved  and  delivered 
by  any  human  being  from  many  sins  and  "re- 
served cases"  '  {casibus  reservatis) .  On  the 
doors  and  walls  of  the  church  printed  letters 
were  publicly  posted,  in  which  it  was  ordered 
that  one  should  henceforth  not  sell  the  let- 
ters of  indulgence  and  the  full  power  at  the 
close  as  dear  as  in  the  beginning,  in  order 
to  give  the  German  people  a  sign  of  grati- 
tude for  their  devotion;  and  at  the  end  of 
the  letter  at  the  foot  was  written  in  addition, 
^Pauperibus  dentur  gratis,'  to  the  needy  the 
letters  of  indulgence  are  to  be  given  for  noth- 
ing, without  money,  for  the  sake  of  God. 

"Then  I  began  to  deal  with  the  deputies 
of  this  indulgence  peddler;  but,  in  truth,  I 
was  impelled  and  urged  to  do  so  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  altho  I  myself  did  not  understand 
at  the  time  what  I  was  doing. 

"My  dear  father  had  taught  me  in  my 

40 


STRUGCxLES  OF  A  YOUNG  MAN 

childhood  the  ten  commandments,  the 
Lord's  prayer,  and  the  Christian  faith,  and 
compelled  me  always  to  pray.  For,  he  said, 
we  had  everything  from  God  alone,  gratis, 
for  nothing,  and  He  would  also  govern  and 
lead  us  if  we  prayed  with  diligence.  Of  the 
indulgences  and  Roman  remission  of  sins  he 
said  that  they  were  only  snares  with  which 
one  tricked  the  simple  out  of  their  money 
and  took  It  from  their  purses,  that  the  for- 
giveness of  sins  and  eternal  life  could  cer- 
tainly not  be  purchased  and  acquired  with 
money.  But  the  priests  or  preachers  became 
angry  and  enraged  when  one  said  such  things. 
Because  I  heard  then  nothing  else  in  the  ser- 
mons every  day  but  the  great  praise  of  the 
remission  of  sins,  I  was  filled  with  doubt  as 
to  whom  I  was  to  believe  more,  my  father  or 
the  priests  as  teachers  of  the  church.  I  was  in 
doubt,  but  still  I  believed  the  priests  more 
than  the  Instruction  of  my  father.  But  one 
thing  I  did  not  grant,  that  the  forgiveness 
of  sins  could  not  be  acquired  unless  It  was 
purchased  with  money,  above  all  by  the  poor. 
On  this  account  I  was  wonderfully  well 
pleased  wath  the  little  clause  at  the  end  of 
the  pope's  letter,  'Pauperibus  gratis  dentur 
propter  Deum.* 

"And  as  they.  In  three  days,  intended  to 

41 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


lay  down  the  cross  with  especial  magnificence 
and  cut  off  the  steps  and  ladders  to  heaven, 
I  was  Impelled  by  my  spirit  to  go  to  the  com- 
missioners and  ask  for  the  letters  of  the  for- 
giveness of  sins  'out  of  mercy  for  the  poor/ 
I  declared  also  that  I  was  a  sinner  and  poor 
and  In  need  of  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  which 
was  granted  thru  divine  grace.  On  the  second 
day,  around  evening,  I  entered  Hans  Pflock's 
house  where  Tetzel  was  assembled  with  the 
father-confessors  and  crowds  of  priests,  and 
I  addressed  them  In  Latin  and  requested 
that  they  might  allow  me,  poor  man,  to  ask 
according  to  the  command  In  the  pope's  let- 
ter for  the  absolution  of  all  my  sins,  for  noth- 
ing and  for  the  sake  of  God,  ^etiam  nullo 
casu  reservatOy  without  reserving  a  single 
case,  and  In  regard  to  the  same  they  should 
give  me  the  pope's  ^literas  testimoniales/  or 
written  testimony.  Then  the  priests  were  as- 
tonished at  my  Latin  speech,  for  that  was  a 
rare  thing  at  this  time,  especially  In  the  case 
of  young  boys;  and  they  soon  went  out  of 
the  room  into  the  small  chamber  which  was 
alongside,  to  the  commissioner  Tetzel.  They 
made  my  desire  known  to  him,  and  also 
asked  in  my  behalf  that  he  might  give  me 
the  letters  of  Indulgence  for  nothing.  Fi- 
nally, after  long  counsel,  they  returned  and 

42 


STRUGGLES  OF  A  YOUNG  MAN 

brought  this  answer:  'Dear  son,  we  have  put 
your  petition  before  the  commissioner  with 
all  diligence,  and  he  confesses  that  he  would 
gladly  grant  your  request,  but  that  he  could 
not;  and  altho  he  might  wish  to  do  so, 
the  concession  would  nevertheless  be  naught 
and  ineffective.  For  he  declared  unto  us 
that  it  was  clearly  written  in  the  pope's  letter 
that  those  would  certainly  share  in  the  ex- 
ceeding generous  indulgences  and  treasures 
of  the  church  and  the  merits  of  Christ  ^qiti 
porrigerent  manum  adjutricem/  who  offered 
a  helping  hand;  that  is,  those  who  would  give 
money.  And  all  that  they  told  me  in  Ger- 
man, for  there  was  not  one  among  them  who 
could  have  spoken  three  Latin  words  cor- 
rectly with  anyone. 

"In  return,  however,  I  entreated  anew, 
and  proved  from  the  pope's  letter  which  had 
been  posted,  that  the  holy  father,  the  pope, 
had  commanded  that  such  letters  should  be 
given  to  the  poor  for  nothing,  for  the  sake 
of  the  Lord;  and  especially  because  there  had 
also  been  written  there,  ^ad  mandatum  dom- 
ini  Papae  proprium/  that  is,  at  the  pope's 
own  command. 

"Then  they  went  in  again  and  asked  the 
proud,  haughty  friar,  that  he  might  kindly 
grant  my  request  and  let  me  go  from  him 

43 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


with  the  letter  of  Indulgence,  since  I  was  a 
clever  and  fluently-speaking  young  man  and 
worthy  of  having  something  exceptional 
granted  me.  But  they  came  out  again  and 
brought  again  the  answer,  'de  manu  auxUia- 
tricCy  concerning  the  helping  hand,  which 
alone  was  fit  for  the  holy  indulgence.  I, 
however,  remained  firm  and  said  that  they 
were  doing  me,  poor  man,  an  injustice;  the 
one  whom  both  God  and  the  pope  were  un- 
willing to  shut  out  of  divine  grace,  was  re- 
jected by  them  for  some  few  pennies  which 
I  did  not  have.  Then  a  contention  arose  that 
I  should  give  at  least  something  small,  in 
order  that  the  helping  hand  might  not  be 
lacking,  that  I  should  give  only  a  groschen; 
I  said,  'I  do  not  have  it,  I  am  poor.*  At  last 
it  came  to  the  point  where  I  was  to  give  only 
six  pfennigs;  then  I  answered  again  that  I 
did  not  have  even  a  single  pfennig.  They 
tried  to  console  me  and  spoke  with  one 
another.  Finally  I  heard  that  they  were 
worried  about  two  things,  in  the  first  place, 
that  I  should  in  no  case  be  allowed  to  go 
without  a  letter  of  indulgence,  for  this  might 
be  a  plan  devised  by  others  and  that  some 
bad  affair  might  hereafter  result  from  it, 
since  it  was  clear  in  the  pope's  letter  that  it 
should  be  given  to  the  poor  for  nothing. 

44 


STRUGGLES  OF  A  YOUNG  MAN 

Again,  however,  something  would  neverthe- 
less have  to  be  taken  from  me  in  order  that 
the  others  might  not  hear  that  the  letters  of 
Indulgence  were  being  given  out  for  noth- 
ing; for  the  whole  pack  of  pupils  and  beggars 
would  then  come  running,  and  each  one  want 
the  same  for  nothing.  They  should  not  have 
found  It  necessary  to  be  worried  about  that, 
for  the  poor  beggars  were  looking  more  for 
their  blessed  bread  to  drive  away  their  hun- 
ger. 

"After  they  had  held  their  deliberation, 
they  came  again  to  me  and  one  gave  me  six 
pfennigs  that  I  should  give  them  to  the  com- 
missioner. Thru  this  contribution  I,  too, 
should  become,  according  to  them,  a  builder 
of  the  Church  of  St.  Peter,  at  Rome,  likewise 
a  slayer  of  the  Turk,  and  should  further- 
more share  In  the  grace  of  Christ  and  the  In- 
dulgences. But  then  I  said  frankly,  impelled 
by  the  Spirit,  if  I  wished  to  buy  Indulgences 
and  remission  of  sins  for  money,  I  could  In 
all  likelihood  sell  a  book  and  buy  them  for 
my  own  money.  I  wanted  them,  however, 
for  nothing,  as  gifts,  for  the  sake  of  God, 
or  they  would  have  to  give  an  account  before 
God  for  having  neglected  and  trifled  away 
my  soul's  salvation  on  account  of  six  pfen- 
nigs; since,  as  they  knew,  both  God  and  the 

45 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


pope  wished  that  my  soul  should  share  in 
the  forgiveness  of  all  my  sins  for  nothing, 
thru  grace.  This  I  said,  and  yet  in  truth,  I 
did  not  know  how  matters  stood  with  the  let- 
ters of  indulgence. 

"At  last,  after  a  long  conversation,  the 
priests  asked  me  by  whom  I  had  been  sent 
to  them,  and  who  had  instructed  me  to  carry 
on  such  dealings  with  them.  Then  I  told 
them  the  pure,  simple  truth,  as  it  was,  that 
I  had  not  been  exhorted  or  urged  by  anyone 
at  all  or  brought  to  it  by  any  advisors;  but 
that  I  had  made  such  a  request  alone,  with- 
out counsel  of  any  man,  only  with  the  confi- 
dence and  trust  in  the  gracious  forgiveness 
of  sins  which  is  given  for  nothing;  and  that 
I  had  never  spoken  or  had  dealings  with  such 
great  people  during  all  my  life.  For  I  was 
by  nature  timid,  and  if  I  had  not  been  forced 
by  my  great  thirst  for  God's  grace,  I  should 
not  have  undertaken  anything  so  great  and 
mixed  with  such  people  and  requested  any- 
thing like  that  of  them.  Then  the  letters  of 
indulgence  were  again  promised  me,  but  yet 
in  such  a  way  that  I  should  buy  them  for  six 
pfennigs  which  were  to  be  given  to  me,  as  far 
as  I  was  concerned,  for  nothing.  I,  how- 
ever, continued  to  insist  that  the  letters  of 
indulgence  should  be  given  to  me  for  nothing 

46 


STRUGGLES  OF  A  YOUNG  MAN 

by  him  who  had  power  to  give  them;  If 
not,  I  should  commend  and  refer  the  matter 
to  God.    And  so  I  was  dismissed  by  them. 

"The  holy  thieves,  notwithstanding,  be- 
came sad  In  consequence  of  these  dealings; 
I,  however,  was  partly  downcast  that  I  had 
received  no  letter  of  Indulgence,  partly  1  re- 
joiced, too,  that  there  was,  in  spite  of  all, 
still  one  In  heaven  who  was  willing  to  forgive 
the  penitent  sinner  his  sins  without  money 
and  loan,  according  to  the  words  that  I  had 
often  sung  in  church:  'As  true  as  I  live,  says 
the  Lord,  I  desire  not  the  death  of  the  sin- 
ner, but  that  he  be  converted  and  live.'  Oh, 
dear  Lord  and  God,  you  know  that  I  am  not 
lying  here  in  this  matter  or  inventing  any- 
thing about  myself. 

"While  doing  this  I  was  so  moved  that  I, 
on  returning  to  my  Inn,  almost  gushed  forth 
and  melted  into  tears.  Thus  I  came  to  my 
inn,  went  to  my  room,  and  took  the  cross 
which  always  lay  upon  the  little  table  in  my 
study  room,  placed  It  upon  the  bench  and  fell 
down  upon  the  floor  before  It.  I  cannot  de- 
scribe It  here,  but  at  that  time  I  was  able  to 
feel  the  spirit  of  prayer  and  divine  grace 
which  you,  my  Lord  and  God,  poured  out 
over  me.  The  essential  import  of  the  same 
was,  however,  this:  I  asked  that  you,  dear 

47 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


God,  might  be  willing  to  be  my  Father,  that 
you  might  be  willing  to  forgive  me  for  my 
sins,  that  I  submitted  myself  wholly  to  you, 
that  you  might  make  of  me  now  whatsoever 
pleased  you,  and  because  the  priests  did  not 
wish  to  be  gracious  to  me  without  money, 
that  you  might  be  willing  to  be  my  gracious 
God  and  Father. 

"Then  I  felt  that  my  whole  heart  was 
changed,  I  was  disgusted  with  everything  in 
this  world,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  I  had 
quite  enough  of  this  life.  One  thing  only  did 
I  desire,  that  is,  to  live  for  God,  that  I  might 
be  pleasing  unto  Him.  But  who  was  there 
at  that  time  who  would  have  taught  me  how 
I  had  to  go  about  It?  For  the  word,  life,  and 
light  of  mankind  was  burled  thruout  the 
whole  world  In  the  deepest  darkness  of 
human  ordinances  and  of  the  quite  foolish 
good  works.  Of  Christ  there  was  complete 
silence,  nothing  was  known  about  Him,  or,  if 
mention  was  made  of  Him,  He  was  repre- 
sented unto  us  as  a  dreadful,  fearful  Judge, 
whom  scarcely  His  mother  and  all  the  saints 
in  heaven  could  reconcile  and  make  merciful 
with  bloody  tears;  and  yet  it  was  done  In 
such  a  way  that  He,  Christ,  thrust  the  human 
being  who  did  penance  Into  the  pains  of  pur- 
gatory seven  years  for  each  capital  sin.     It 

48 


STRUGGLES  OF  A  V()UN(;  MAN 


was  claimed  that  the  pain  of  purgatory  dif- 
fered from  the  pain  of  hell  in  nothing  except 
that  it  was  not  to  last  forever.  The  Holy 
Ghost,  however,  now  brought  me  the  hope 
that  God  would  be  merciful  unto  me. 

''And  now  I  began  to  take  counsel  a  few 
days  with  myself  as  to  how  I  might  take  up 
some  other  vocation  in  life.  For  I  saw  the 
sin  of  the  world  and  of  the  whole  human 
race;  I  saw  my  manifold  sin,  which  was  very 
great.  T  had  also  heard  something  of  the 
secret  holiness  and  the  pure,  innocent  life 
of  the  monks,  how  they  served  God  day  and 
night,  were  separated  from  all  the  wicked 
life  of  the  world,  and  lived  very  sober,  pious, 
and  virtuous  Hv'es,  read  masses,  sang  psalms, 
fasted,  and  prayed  at  all  times.  I  had  also 
seen  this  sham  life,  but  I  did  not  know  and 
understand  that  It  was  the  greatest  Idolatry 
and  hypocrisy. 

"Thereupon  I  made  my  decision  known  to 
the  preceptor,  Master  Andreas  Staffelstein, 
who  was  the  chief  regent  of  the  school ;  he 
advised  me  straightway  to  enter  the  Francis- 
can cloister,  the  rebuilding  of  which  had  been 
begun  at  that  time.  And  In  order  that  I 
might  not  become  differently  minded  In  con- 
sequence of  long  delay,  he  straightway  went 
with  me  himself  to  the  monks,  praised  my 

49 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


Intellect  and  ability,  declared  In  terms  of 
praise  that  he  had  considered  me  the  only 
one  among  his  pupils  of  whom  he  was  en- 
tirely confident  that  I  should  become  a  very 
devout  man. 

"I  wished,  however,  first  to  announce  my 
Intention  to  my  parents,  too,  and  hear  their 
ideas  about  the  matter,  since  I  was  a  lone  son 
and  heir  of  my  parents.  The  monks,  how- 
ever, taught  me  from  St.  Jerome,  that  I 
should  drop  father  and  mother  and  not  take 
them  Into  consideration,  and  run  to  the  cross 
of  Christ.  They  quoted,  too,  the  words  of 
Christ,  'No  one  who  lays  hands  to  the  plow 
and  looks  back  Is  fit  for  the  kingdom  of  God.' 
All  of  this  was  bound  to  Impel  and  enjoin  me 
to  become  a  monk.  I  will  not  speak  here  of 
many  ropes  and  fetters  with  which  they 
bound  and  tied  my  conscience.  For  they 
said  that  I  could  never  become  blessed  If  I 
did  not  soon  accept  and  use  the  grace  offered 
by  God.  Thereupon  I,  who  would  rather 
have  been  willing  to  die  than  be  without  the 
grace  of  God  and  eternal  life,  straightway 
promised  and  engaged  to  come  into  the 
cloister  again  In  three  days  and  begin  the 
year  of  probation,  as  they  called  It,  in  the 
cloister;  that  Is,  I  wanted  to  become  a  pious, 
devout,  and  God-fearing  monk. 

50 


STRUGGLES  OF  A  YOUNG  MAN 

"In  the  year  of  Christ,  1510,  the  14th  of 
July,  at  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  I  en- 
tered the  cloister,  accompanied  by  my  pre- 
ceptor, some  few  of  my  school  comrades,  and 
some  very  devout  matrons,  to  whom  I  had 
in  part  made  known  the  reason  why  I  was 
entering  the  spiritual  order.  And  so  I  blessed 
my  companions  to  the  cloister,  all  of  whom, 
amid  tears,  wished  me  God's  grace  and  bless- 
ing. And  thus  I  entered  the  cloister.  Dear 
God,  you  know  that  this  is  all  true.  I  did  not 
seek  idleness  or  provision  for  my  stomach, 
nor  the  appearance  of  great  holiness,  but  I 
wished  to  be  pleasing  unto  you — you  I  wished 
to  serve. 

"Thus  I  at  that  time  groped  about  In  very 
great  darkness." 

51 


OUT  OF  MONASTIC  CONFINEMENT 
INTO  BATTLE 

The  storm  Is  breaking  loose.  Flashes  as 
of  electric  fire  are  passing  thru  the  whole 
nation;  the  words  of  the  Augustlnlan  friar  of 
Wittenberg  are  rumbling  like  claps  of  thun- 
der, and  every  clap  signifies  an  advance,  a 
victory.  Even  now,  after  three  and  one-half 
hundred  years,  the  monstrous  movement  of 
the  nation  attracts  with  an  Irresistible  charm. 
At  no  time  as  long  as  the  German  people  has 
been  in  existence  has  Its  innermost  being  been 
revealed  in  such  a  touching  and  grand  man- 
ner. All  the  beautiful  attributes  of  the  Ger- 
man heart  and  character  burst  at  this  time 
into  blossom — enthusiasm,  devotion,  a  deep 
moral  anger,  heartfelt  seeking  after  what 
was  most  sacred,  and  earnest  joy  in  system- 
atic thinking.  Every  individual  person  took 
part  in  the  conflict.  The  traveling  trader 
fought  at  the  evening  fire  of  the  Inn  for  or 
against  the  indulgence;  the  peasant  In  the 
remotest  valley  heard  with  astonishment  of 
the  new  heretic  whom  his  spiritual  father 
was  now  cursing  in  every  sermon ;  the  money 
bag  of  the  mendicant  friar  who  went  about 
collecting  alms  remained  empty,  not  even  did 
the  women  in  the  villages  donate  eggs  and 

52 


OUT  OF  MONASTIC  CONFINIiMFNT 

cheese.  The  small  forms  of  literature  swelled 
to  the  size  of  an  ocean;  a  hundred  printing 
presses  were  at  work  to  spread  the  numerous 
polemic  treatises,  scholarly  and  popular.  At 
every  parish  church,  in  every  chapter,  fac- 
tions are  filled  with  wrath ;  everywhere  reso- 
lute ecclesiastics  declare  themselves  in  favor 
of  the  new  doctrine;  the  weaker  ones  strug- 
gle In  anxious  doubt;  the  cloister  gates  are 
opened,  soon  the  cells  are  empty.  Every 
month  brings  the  people  something  new,  un- 
heard of. 

It  Is  no  longer  a  quarrel  among  preachers, 
as  Hutten  in  the  beginning  had  contemptu- 
ously called  the  dispute  of  the  men  of  Wit- 
tenberg with  Tetzel.  It  has  become  a  war 
of  the  nation  against  the  dominion  of  Rome 
and  the  latter's  helpers.  Ever  with  greater 
power  does  the  figure  of  Luther  rise  before 
the  eyes  of  his  contemporaries.  Exiled,  cursed, 
persecuted  by  pope  and  emperor,  by  princes 
and  high  ecclesiastic  dignitaries,  he  becomes 
In  four  years  the  celebrated  hero  of  the  peo- 
ple. His  journey  to  Worms  Is  already  de- 
scribed In  the  tone  of  the  Holy  Scriptures, 
and  over-zealous  ones  compare  him  with  the 
martyrs  of  the  New  Testament.  But  even 
the  educated  feel  themselves  Irresistibly 
drawn   Into   the   battle;   even   Erasmus   still 

53 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


smiles  his  approval,  and  Hutten's  soul  burns 
up  brightly  for  the  justice  of  the  new  doc- 
trine; no  longer  does  he  write  in  Latin;  in 
the  German  language,  more  vehemently  and 
fiercely  than  the  men  of  Wittenberg,  with  a 
fire  that  consumes  him  himself,  the  knight 
fights  his  last  combats  for  the  peasant  son. 

Thus  the  image  of  the  one  in  whom  the 
best  life  of  his  nation  had  been  concentrated 
during  half  a  generation,  draws  very  close  to 
us.  Before  we  attempt,  however,  to  under- 
stand his  soul,  let  Us  first  indicate  how  his 
manner  affected  unbiased  contemporaries. 
At  first  the  testimony  of  a  sober  and  clear  in- 
tellect that  never  came  personally  close  to 
Luther,  that  had  later  cause  enough,  too, 
standing  midway  between  the  men  of  Witten- 
berg and  the  Swiss  reformers,  to  be  dis- 
pleased with  Luther's  stubbornness.  It  is  a 
brother  from  the  old  Benedictine  cloister, 
Alpirsbach,  in  the  wildest  part  of  the  Black 
Forest,  Ambrosius  Blaurer,  born  in  Con- 
stance of  noble  family,  at  that  time  thirty 
years  old.  He  had  left  the  monastery  in 
1522  (the  8th  of  July)  and  had  made  his 
escape  to  his  family.  At  the  request  of  his 
abbot  his  surrender  to  the  cloister  was  de- 
manded of  the  mayor  and  council  of  Con- 
stance by  the  governor  of  the  principality  of\ 

54  -^ 


OUT  OF  MONASTIC  CONFINEMENT 

Wiirttemberg.  Blaurer  had  a  defence  printed 
from  which  the  following  has  been  taken. 
He  became  a  short  time  after  this  a  preacher 
in  Constance,  a  poet  of  spiritual  songs,  after 
the  last  restoration  of  Duke  Ulrich,  one  of 
the  reformers  of  Wiirttemberg,  and  died,  in 
advanced  years  and  tired  of  achieving,  at 
WInterthur,  as  an  unimpeachable,  worthy, 
temperate  man.  His  praise  and  censure  of 
Luther  may  be  considered  the  universal 
opinion  that  the  serious  minds  had  in  those 
years. 

"I  call  upon  God  and  my  conscience  to 
bear  witness  that  no  mischief  or  vain  motive 
drove  me  out  of  the  cloister  and  Incited  me 
to  yield,  as  common  report  now  declares  that 
monks  and  nuns  run  away  from  the  order  in 
defiance  of  monastic  peace  and  calm  in  order 
to  live  In  sensual  pleasure  and  give  loose 
reins  to  their  wantonness  and  worldly  desires. 
But  that  which  drove  me  out,  consists  of 
worthy,  significant,  great  grievances,  and  ur- 
gent warnings  of  my  conscience,  based  upon 
and  directed  by  the  divine  word,  x^nd  1 
hope  that  every  occurrence  and  all  the  cir- 
cumstances of  my  exit  may  not  show  levity, 
mischief,  or  any  unseemly  purpose;  for  I  laid 
off  neither  cloak  nor  hood,  except  for  a  few 
days    after    my    departure    for    my    greater 

55 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


safety,  until  I  had  reached  my  place  of  ref- 
uge ;  1  ran  away,  too,  neither  in  war  nor  with 
a  pretty  woman,  but  I  betook  myself  without 
delay,  just  as  quickly  as  It  was  possible  for 
me  to  do  so,  to  my  very  dear  mother  and  to 
my  relatives,  who  possess  an  undoubted 
Christian  soul  and  enjoy  such  a  reputation 
for  uprightness  In  the  town  of  Constance  that 
they  would  not  advise  or  help  me  in  any  un- 
just undertaking. 

"I  trust,  moreover,  that  my  life  and  be- 
havior up  to  the  present  will  easily  turn  away 
from  me  the  suspicion  of  an  unseemly,  wanton 
design.  For  altho  I  pride  myself  on  noth- 
ing in  the  presence  of  God,  I  may,  neverthe- 
less, I  think,  boast  in  the  Lord  before  the 
people,  because  necessity  now  exacts  It,  that 
I  have  preserved  a  good  reputation  and 
name,  much  love  and  favor  on  account  of  my 
propriety  of  conduct  In  the  monastery,  at 
school,  here,  and  everywhere  that  I  have  been. 
The  message  from  Wiirttemberg  also  gave 
me  in  your  hearing  the  praise  that  there  was 
no  complaint  or  evil  report  in  the  cloister 
at  Alplrsbach  In  regard  to  my  character  or  be- 
havior; but  that  I  had  behaved  myself  well 
and  In  a  pious  manner,  except  that  T  con- 
cerned myself  too  much,  as  they  say,  with  the 
seducing    and    cursed    doctrine    of    Martin 

56 


OUT  OF  MONASTIC  CONFINEMENT 

Luther,  read,  and  kept  his  writings,  teaching 
them  publicly  in  the  cloister  and  in  my  ser- 
mons to  laymen  contrary  to  the  prohibition 
of  the  abbot;  and,  being  prohibited  from  do- 
ing even  this,  I  had,  nevertheless,  poured 
them  secretly  and  in  hidden  places  into  the 
souls  of  some  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  cloister. 
With  such  praise  from  my  fathers  and  fellow- 
brethren  I  am  quite  content  and  satisfied,  and 
am  quite  willing  to  answer  for  this  single 
misdeed  in  a  Christian  manner  and  on  the 
basis  of  the  divine  word,  and  I  hope  that  my 
excuse  may  be  beneficial  not  only  to  me  but 
also  to  some  others  for  the  purpose  of  turn- 
ing aside  a  false  and  unfounded  suspicion. 

"As  during  the  years  that  have  just  passed 
the  writings  and  books  of  Martin  Luther 
came  out  and  became  known,  they  fell  into 
my  hands,  too,  before  they  were  forbidden 
and  condemned  by  the  ecclesiastic  and  secular 
authorities.  And,  like  other  newly  printed 
writings,  I  examined  and  read  them.  At 
first  such  teaching  seemed  to  me  somewhat 
foreign  and  strange,  also  ungracious  and  in 
contradiction  to  the  long-established  theol- 
ogy and  wise  teaching  of  the  school,  also  to 
some  decrees  of  the  papal  ecclesiastic  laws; 
and  in  contradiction  to  old,  and,  as  it  seemed 
to  me  at  that  time,  praiseworthy  traditions 

57 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


and  customs  which  had  come  to  us  from  our 
forefathers.  As  I,  however,  noticed,  none 
the  less,  in  reading,  that  this  man  strewed 
everywhere  into  his  teaching  luminous,  clear 
words  from  the  Holy  Biblical  Scriptures,  ac- 
cording to  which  all  other  human  doctrines 
should  be  considered,  judged,  accepted,  or  re- 
jected, I  was  much  surprised  and  thereby  in- 
duced to  read  such  teaching  not  once  or  twice, 
but  often,  diligently  and  with  serious  atten- 
tion, to  weigh  it  and  compare  it  with  the 
evangelical  writings  to  which  it  often  ap- 
pealed. But  the  longer  and  more  diligently  I 
did  this,  the  better  did  I  understand  how  this 
very  learned,  enlightened  man  treated  the 
Holy  Scriptures  with  very  great  dignity;  how 
he  dealt  with  It  in  an  exceedingly  clear  and 
accurate  manner;  how  he  cited  It  everywhere 
very  wisely  and  gracefully;  how  nicely  and 
skilfully  he  compared  and  combined  them 
one  with  the  other,  explained  and  made  clear 
the  Indistinct,  difficult  sections  by  the  aid  of 
other  clear.  Intelligible  passages;  and  I  saw 
that  there  Is  In  his  treatment  of  the  Scriptures 
the  greatest  mastery  and  the  most  beneficial 
help  toward  a  very  thoro  understanding, 
so  that  even  every  intelligent  layman,  look- 
ing at  his  books  in  the  proper  way  and  read- 
ing them  with  diligence,  can  clearly  compre- 
ss 


OUT  OF  MONASTIC  CONFINEMENT 

hend  that  this  teaching  has  a  very  true,  Chris- 
tian, strong  basis.  On  this  account  It  struck 
my  soul  very  much,  too,  and  went  deep  Into 
my  heart,  and  by  and  by  the  mist  of  many  old 
misapprehensions  fell  from  my  eyes.  For 
this  doctrine  did  not  become  to  me  in  any 
way  an  object  of  suspicion,  as  that  of  many 
other  school-teachers  whom  I  had  read  be- 
fore, for  the  reason  that  it  alms  neither  at 
dominion,  fame,  or  temporal  enjoyment;  but 
pictures  unto  us  only  the  poor,  despised,  cruci- 
fied Christ,  and  teaches  us  a  pure,  modest, 
quite  calm  life,  conformable  In  all  things  to 
the  teaching  of  Christ;  on  account  of  which 
reason,  too,  It  is  intolerable  and  too  difficult 
for  the  swelled-up,  bloated  doctors  who  seek 
rather  their  own  honor  and  fame  in  the 
Scriptures  than  the  spirit  of  God,  and  for 
the  priests  with  immoderate  ambition  and 
numerous  prebends.  On  this  account  I  will 
rather  lose  body  and  soul  and  all  my  worldly 
possessions  than  allow  myself  to  be  forced 
away  from  it,  not  on  account  of  Luther,  who, 
except  for  his  writings,  is  a  stranger  and  un- 
known to  me;  he,  too,  is  a  human  being  and 
can,  therefore,  err  and  make  mistakes  as 
other  human  beings;  but  for  the  sake  of  the 
divine  word,  which  he  bears  in  him  in  such 
luminous  and  clear  fashion,  speaks,  and  ex- 

59 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


plains  with  such  great  victory  and  triumph 
out  of  a  candid,  fearless  mind. 

"His  enemies  wish  to  turn  this  honey,  too, 
into  gall  for  the  most  part  by  saying  that 
Luther  is  so  very  touchy,  easily  irritated, 
combative,  and  caustic,  and  attacks,  scolds, 
and  abuses  his  opponents,  especially  the  great 
princes  and  ecclesiastic  and  secular  lords,  in 
such  a  wanton  mood,  and  forgets  brotherly 
love  and  Christian  modesty  so  much.  In  this 
he  has  truly  often  displeased  me  too.  I  should 
also  hate  very  much  to  instruct  anyone  to 
do  like  unto  him  in  this  particular.  I  have, 
however,  none  the  less,  been  unwilling  on 
this  account  to  cast  aside  and  reject  his  good 
Christian  doctrine  or  condemn  him  in  this 
point;  and,  in  truth,  I  did  not  do  so  because 
I  cannot  see  thru  his  mind  and  the  secret 
judgment  of  God,  which  will,  perhaps,  turn 
many  people  in  consequence  of  this  short- 
coming from  his  teaching.  And  since  he  does 
not  wish  to  champion  his  own  cause,  but  the 
word  of  God,  he  may  be  pardoned  for  much, 
and  everything  Interpreted  as  wrathful  zeal 
in  the  service  of  the  Lord.  Why,  Christ,  the 
source  and  Image  of  all  meekness,  often  se- 
verely rebuked  In  the  presence  of  others  the 
hardened,  cold-hearted  Pharisees,  cursed 
them,   and    called    them    false    hypocrites, 

60 


OUT  OF  MONASTIC  CONFINEMENT 

painted  sepulchres,  descendants  of  profli- 
gates, blind  men  and  leaders  of  the  blind, 
even  children  of  the  devil,  as  the  evangelical 
story  narrates  (Matthew,  chapters  12,  15, 
23  ;  John,  chapter  8 ) .  Perhaps  Luther  would 
like  to  give  many  a  one  a  big  title  if  he  could 
do  so  in  truth.  But  he  may  think  that  it  is 
not  fitting  for  him  to  call  the  benighted  illus- 
trious, the  ravenous  wolves  good  shepherds, 
the  unmerciful  merciful;  for,  without  doubt, 
if  God  up  to  this  time  had  not  been  more 
gracious  to  him  than  they,  he  would  no  lon- 
ger be  upon  this  earth.  But  however  that 
all  may  be,  I  do  not  wish  to  defend  it  at  this 
place.  His  scoffing  and  scolding  let  us  re- 
ject, and  thankfully  accept  for  our  Improve- 
ment the  seriousness  of  his  courageous  Chris- 
tian writings. 

"As  I  now  frankly  persisted  at  all  times 
In  my  well-grounded  purpose  and  did  not 
want  to  allow  myself  to  be  turned  away  from 
It  thru  any  human  prohibition,  as  I,  like  a 
good  Christian,  you  know,  could  not  do,  the 
anger  of  my  master  of  Alpirsbach  and  of 
some  of  his  monastery  became  even  greater 
and  more  violent  against  me,  and  the  sword 
of  God's  wrath  began  to  cut  and  cause  dis- 
cord among  the  brethren.  At  last  I  received 
the  strictest  orders  to  desist  from  my  pur- 

61 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


pose,  and  that  I   should  not  speak  of  this 
matter  even  to  the  others  of  the  cloister  who 
favored  me  and  were  inclined  toward  Chris- 
tian teaching.     Furthermore,  I  was  not  to 
preach  or  read  in  the  monastery,  but  be  at  all 
times  like  one  of  the  other  cloister  brethren. 
I  did  not  wish  to  resist,  but  was  quite  willing 
to  endure  such  violence  with  Christian  pa- 
tience ;  with  the  reservation,  however,  that  I 
for  my  part,  should  by  no  means  allow  my- 
self to  be  prevented  from  reading  and  fol- 
lowing everything  that  was  in  my  judgment 
In  accordance  with  the  Holy  Scriptures  and 
helpful  to  my  soul's  salvation.    Further,  that 
I  wished  to  share  teaching,  writings,  books, 
and  brotherly  instruction  with  the  others  who 
might  desire  the  same  of  me  or  be  In  need 
of  them.     For  thus  the  Lord  my  God  had 
commanded  me,  and  His  bidding  I  wanted 
to  value  higher  than  any  other  human  obe- 
dience.   That,  however,  was  received  with 
great    disfavor    and    called    an    unbearable 
crime;  the  dally  discord  was  Increased,  the 
monastic   calm   undermined    and    disturbed. 
The  one  said  that  he  did  not  want  to  remain 
any  longer  in  this  school  of  heretics;   the 
second  that  the   Lutherans  would  have   to 
leave  the  cloister  or  he  would  go;  the  third 
alleged  that  the  monastery  had  to  endure 

62 


OUT  OF  MONASTIC  CONFINEMENT 

slander  and  suffer  temporal  loss  on  my  ac- 
count, for  people  would  assume  that  the 
members  of  the  cloister  were  all  of  my 
opinion;  the  fourth  talked  about  thrashing; 
the  fifth  about  something  else,  so  that  I  did 
not  wish  to  stand  the  affair  any  longer  nor 
continue  further  in  such  discord  without 
wounded  my  conscience.  Therefore,  I  peti- 
tioned my  abbot  and  monastery  with  serious- 
ness and  the  greatest  diligence  for  a  gracious 
voluntary  leave  of  absence,  saying  that  I 
wished  to  support  myself  a  year  or  two  with- 
out any  expense  to  the  cloister  at  some  school 
or  elsewhere,  for  the  purpose  of  seeing 
whether  perhaps  in  the  meantime  the  cause 
of  our  dissension  might  come  to  a  peaceful 
end  thru  divine  Intervention,  so  that  we, 
reconciled  in  the  teaching  of  the  gospels, 
might  come  together  again  in  friendly,  quite 
brotherly  love. 

"As  they,  however,  refused  me  even  this,  I 
left  the  cloister  myself  after  careful  consid- 
eration and  after  having  first  held  counsel 
with  wise,  learned,  exceedingly  intelligent, 
and    God-fearing    gentlemen    and    friends.'* 

So  far  Ambrosius  Blaurer. 

While  Brother  Ambrosius  was  still  anx- 
iously looking  out  of  the  window  of  his  mon- 
astic cell  over  the  fir  trees  of  the  Black  For- 

63 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


est  into  open  space,  another  man  was  riding 
out  of  the  gate  of  a  princely  citadel  In  the 
Thuringian  forest-covered  mountains.  Be- 
hind him  lay  the  dark  "Dragon's  Gorge," 
before  him  the  long  ridge  of  the  magic 
Horselberg  in  which  a  she-devil  had  her 
abode;  back  to  her  the  pope,  the  wretched 
forgiver  of  sins,  had  at  one  time  driven  the 
penitent  Tannhauser.  But  the  dry  staff 
which  the  pope  had  at  that  time  stuck  into 
the  ground,  had  become  green  over  night. 
God  Himself  had  refuted  the  pope.  The 
poor,  penitent  human  being,  with  childlike 
faith  no  longer  needs  the  Roman  bishop  to 
find  compassion  and  pardon  with  his  heavenly 
Father.  The  wicked  pope,  however,  shall 
pass  down  Into  the  defile  of  the  old  dragon. 

The  outer  appearance  of  the  man  who  was 
riding  down  the  Wartburg  toward  Witten- 
berg, shall  now  be  depicted  by  a  young  stu- 
dent who  was  going  with  a  friend  from  Switz- 
erland to  Saxony.  His  report  is  one  of  the 
best  known  of  those  days,  and  yet  it  could 
not  be  left  out  here.  It  has  been  preserved 
for  us  in  John  Kessler's  "Sabbata,"  a  chron- 
icle of  the  years  1523-39,  published  by  E. 
Gotzlnger. 

John  Kessler,  born  at  St.  Gall,  of  poor, 
middle-class  parents,  about  1502,  visited  the 

64 


Margarethe   Luther 
Mother  of  Martin  Luther 

From   a   I'aintiiiR 
by  Lucas   Cranach 


OUT  OF  MONASTIC  CONFINEMENT 

monastic  school  there,  studied  theology  at 
Basel,  and  journeyed  with  a  comrade  to  Wit- 
tenberg In  the  early  spring  of  1522,  In  order 
to  continue  his  studies  In  that  place  under  the 
reformers.  In  the  winter  of  1523  he  re- 
turned to  his  native  town,  and  since  the  new 
doctrine  had  there  as  yet  no  footing,  and  he 
was  poor,  he,  too,  decided  to  learn  a  trade. 
He  became  a  saddler.  Soon  a  small  group 
of  worshipers  gathered  about  him,  he  taught, 
preached,  worked  In  his  workshop,  and  wrote 
books,  became  finally  a  school-teacher,  libra- 
rian, member  of  the  board  of  education.  He 
was  an  unpretentious,  gentle,  pure  person, 
with  a  heart  full  of  love  and  gentle  warmth; 
in  the  theological  disputes  of  his  time  he  took 
no  active  part.     His  tale  begins : 

*'As  we  were  traveling  toward  Wittenberg 
to  study  the  Holy  Scriptures,  we  came  to 
Jena  In  the  land  of  Thuringia,  God  knows  I 
In  a  dreadful  storm,  and  after  much  Inquiry 
in  the  town  for  an  inn  where  we  might  stay 
over  night,  we  were  unable  to  procure  or 
learn  of  one;  everywhere  we  were  refused 
lodging.  For  it  was  Shrove  Tuesday,  on 
which  day  one  does  not  concern  himself  much 
about  pilgrims  and  strangers.  Then  we 
turned  from  the  town  again  in  order  to  go 
farther,  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  whether 

65 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


we  might  reach  a  village  where  someone 
would  keep  us  after  all.  In  the  meanwhile 
an  honorable  man  met  us  in  the  city  gate, 
who  spoke  to  us  In  friendly  manner  and 
asked  where  we  wished  to  go  so  late,  as  we 
should  nowhere  thereabout  reach,  before  the 
depth  of  night,  either  house  or  hut  where  the 
people  would  keep  us.  He  said  that  it  was 
besides  a  road  easy  to  miss  and  to  go  astray 
on;  for  that  reason  he  would  advise  us  to 
stay  right  here. 

"We  answered:  *Dear  father,  we  have 
been  at  all  the  inns  where  we  were  sent 
hither  and  thither;  everywhere,  however,  we 
were  turned  away  and  refused  lodging;  we 
must,  therefore,  of  necessity  continue  our 
journey.'  Then  he  asked  whether  we  had 
also  Inquired  at  the  inn  'To  the  Black  Bear'  ? 
Then  we  said:  'We  have  never  heard  of  It; 
dear  sir,  tell  us  where  shall  we  find  this.* 
Then  he  showed  it  to  us,  a  short  distance 
outside  of  the  town.  And  as  we  saw  the 
Black  Bear,  behold,  as  all  the  landlords  had 
beforehand  refused  us  lodging,  the  Innkeeper 
here  came  into  the  doorway,  received  us,  and 
kindly  offered  of  his  own  accord  to  keep  us, 
and  conducted  us  Into*  the  main  room. 

"There  we  found  a  man  sitting  alone  at 
the  table,  and  before  him  lay  a  little  book; 

66 


OUT  OF  MONASTIC  CONFINEMENT 

he  greeted  us  In  friendly  manner,  bade  us 
draw  nearer  and  sit  beside  him  at  the  table. 
For  our  shoes  were — if  I  may  here  write 
with  your  permission — so  full  of  mu-d  and 
dirt  that  we,  on  account  of  shame  of  the  mud 
spots,  could  not  cheerfully  enter  the  room, 
and  quietly  sat  down  upon  a  little  bench 
near  the  door.  Then  he  offered  us  some- 
thing to  drink,  which  we  could  not  refuse 
to  accept.  As  we  thus  heard  his  friendliness 
and  good  nature,  we  sat  down  beside  him 
at  his  table,  as  he  had  commanded,  had  a 
pot  of  wine  sent  In,  In  order  that  we  for 
honor's  sake  might  again  offer  him  some- 
thing to  drink,  too.  We  had,  however,  no 
other  Idea  than  that  he  was  a  trooper,  who 
was  sitting  there  according  to  the  custom  of 
the  land  with  a  little  red  leather  cap,  with 
breeches  and  jerkin,  without  armor,  a  sword 
at  his  side,  his  right  hand  on  the  pummel  of 
the  sword,  seizing  the  hilt  with  the  other. 
His  eyes  were  dark  and  deep  set,  dazzling 
and  sparkling  as  a  star,  so  that  they  could 
not  be  well  looked  at. 

*'Soon  he  began  to  ask  where  we  were 
born.  But  he  gave  himself  answer,  'You 
are  Swiss.  From  what  part  of  Switzerland 
are  you?'  We  answered,  'From  St.  Gall.' 
Then  he  said,  'If  you  wish  to  go  from  here 

67 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


to  Wittenberg,  as  I  hear,  you  will  find  there 
good  countrymen,  namely.  Doctor  Jerome 
Schurf  and  his  brother.  Doctor  Augustin.' 

^'We  said,  'We  have  letters  to  them.' 
Then  we  asked  him  again,  'Sir,  can  you  not 
inform  us  whether  Martin  Luther  is  now  at 
Wittenberg  or  at  whatever  place  he  may  be  ?' 

"He  answered,  'I  have  certain  knowledge 
that  Luther  is  just  now  not  at  Wittenberg; 
he  will,  however,  soon  go  thither.  Philip 
Melanchthon,  however,  is  there ;  he  is  teach- 
ing the  Greek  language;  as  also  others,  who 
are  teaching  Hebrew.  In  all  honesty  I  want 
to  advise  you  to  study  both,  for  they  are  the 
first  thing  necessary  to  understand  the  Holy 
Scriptures.'  We  said, 'God  be  praised!  For 
if  God  spares  our  lives  we  will  not  desist 
until  we  see  and  hear  the  man;  for  on  his 
account  we  have  undertaken  this  journey, 
since  we  heard  that  he  wants  to  overthrow 
the  priesthood  together  with  the  mass  as  an 
unfounded  divine  service.  Since  we,  from 
childhood  up,  have  been  educated  and  des- 
tined by  our  parents  to  become  priests,  we 
are  quite  willing  to  hear  what  instruction 
he  will  give  us  and  with  what  right  he  in- 
tends to  bring  such  a  purpose  to  pass.' 

"After  such  words  he  asked,  'Where  have 
you  studied  until  now?'   Answer,  'At  Basel.' 

68 


OUT  OF  MONASTIC  CONFINEMENT 

Then  he  said,  'How  are  things  at  Basel  ?^ 
Is  Erasmus  Roterodamus  still  there?  What 
is  he  doing?' 

''  'Sir,'  said  we,  Sve  do  not  know  but  that 
things  are  going  well;  Erasmus,  too,  Is  there, 
but  what  he  is  doing  Is  unknown  to  and  hid- 
den from  everyone,  since  he  keeps  very  quiet 
and  In  secret.' 

"These  words  seemed  to  us  quite  strange, 
coming  from  the  horseman,  that  he  could 
speak  of  both  Schurfs,  of  Philip  and  Eras- 
mus, likewise  of  the  necessity  of  both  the 
Greek  and  the  Hebrew  languages.  Besides 
he  spoke  at  times  some  Latin  words,  so  that 
it  almost  seemed  to  us  that  he  was  a  different 
person  from  a  common  trooper. 

"  'Beloved  ones,'  he  asked  us,  'what  does 
one  think  of  Luther  in  Switzerland?' 

"  'Sir,  there  are,  as  everywhere,  various 
opinions.  Some  cannot  sufficiently  extol  him 
and  thank  God  that  He  has  revealed  His 
truth  thru  him  and  made  It  possible  to 
recognize  the  errors;  others,  however,  curse 
him  as  an  Intolerable  heretic,  and  above  all 
the  clergymen.' 

"Then  he  said,  'I  can  w^ell  Imagine  that  it 
is  the  priests.' 

"Amid  such  conversation  we  began  to  feel 
quite   at  ease   In   his  presence,    so   that  my 

69 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


comrade  picked  up  the  book  lying  before  him 
and  opened  it.  It  was  a  Hebrew  psalter. 
Then  he  laid  it  down  again  quickly,  and  the 
trooper  took  it  unto  himself.  From  this  still 
more  doubt  came  over  us  as  to  who  it  was. 
And  my  comrade  said,  *I  would  give  a  finger 
from  my  hand  that  I  might  understand  this 
language.'  He  answered,  'You  will  indeed 
understand  it,  provided  you  apply  yourselves 
with  diligence;  I,  too,  am  desirous  of  learn- 
ing It  better  and  am  exercising  myself  in  it 
daily.' 

"In  the  meantime  the  light  of  day  disap- 
peared entirely  and  it  was  growing  very  dark, 
and  the  landlord  came  to  our  table.  As  he 
had  heard  our  great  longing  and  desire  to 
see  Martin  Luther,  he  said,  "Dear  comrades, 
had  you  been  here  two  days  ago  you  would 
have  been  successful,  for  here  at  this  table 
he  sat  and' — he  pointed  wnth  his  finger — 'at 
this  spot.'  That  vexed  us  much  and  we  were 
provoked  that  we  had  missed  seeing  one 
another,  visited  our  displeasure  on  the 
muddy  and  poor  road  which  had  hindered 
us.  But  we  said,  'Now,  however,  we  are 
glad  that  we  are  sitting  in  the  house  and  at 
the  table  where  he  sat.'  At  this  the  Inn- 
keeper had  to  laugh  and  then  went  out  thru 
the  door. . 

70 


OUT  OF  MONASTIC  CONFINEMENT 

"After  a  little  while  the  Innkeeper,  outside 
the  door  of  the  guest-room,  called  me,  ask- 
ing that  I  come  to  him.  I  was  scared  and 
wondered  what  unseemly  thing  I  had  done, 
or  for  what  I  was  being  blamed  without 
cause  on  my  part. 

*'Then  the  landlord  said  to  me,  *Since  I 
recognize  that  you  truly  wish  to  hear  and 
see  Luther — it  Is  he  who  is  sitting  beside 
you.' 

''These  words  struck  me  as  joking,  and  I 
said,  'Yes,  landlord,  you  want  very  much  to 
make  sport  of  me  and  to  satisfy  my  desire 
with  a  deceptive  likeness  of  Luther.'  He  an- 
swered, 'It  Is  really  he.  But  do  not  act  as 
if  you  took  him  for  Luther  and  recognized 
him.'  I  did  not  argue  the  point  with  the  Inn- 
keeper; I  could,  however,  not  believe  It.  I 
went  Into  the  room  again,  sat  down  at  the 
table  again,  should  like  to  have  told  my  com- 
rade, too,  what  the  landlord  had  revealed  to 
me.  At  last  I  turned  to  him  and  whispered 
quietly,  'The  Innkeeper  told  me  that  this  is 
Luther.'  He,  like  me,  did  not  want  to  be- 
lieve It  right  away  either,  and  said,  'He  said, 
perhaps,  that  it  was  Hutten,  and  you  did  not 
properly  understand  him.'  Because  now  the 
trooper  attire  and  bearing  reminded  me  more 
of   Hutten   than   of   Luther   In    the   person 

71 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


of  a  monk,  I  let  myself  be  persuaded  that 
he  had  said,  'It  is  Hutten,'  since  the  begin- 
nings of  both  names  have  almost  the  same 
sound.  What  I,  on  that  account,  said  after 
this,  was  spoken  as  if  I  were  speaking  to  Mr. 
Huldrich  ab  Hutten,  knight. 

"During  all  this  two  of  the  merchants  who 
also  wished  to  stay  over  night  here,  came, 
and,  after  they  had  taken  off  their  street 
clothes  and  their  spurs,  one  of  them  laid  an 
unbound  book  beside  him.  Then  Martinus 
asked  what  kind  of  book  that  was.  He  said, 
*It  is  Doctor  Luther's  interpretation  of  some 
gospels  and  epistles,  only  recently  printed 
and  published;  have  you  never  seen  them?* 
Martinus  said,  *They  will  soon  be  sent  to  me 
too.'  Then  the  innkeeper  said,  'Now  sit 
down  at  the  table,  we  want  to  eat' ;  we,  how- 
ever, spoke  up  and  bade  the  innkeeper  to  be 
indulgent  toward  us  and  give  us  something 
less  expensive  than  the  regular  supper.  Then 
the  innkeeper  said,  'Dear  fellows,  join  the 
gentlemen  at  the  table,  I  want  to  entertain 
you  in  a  becoming  manner.'  As  Martinus 
heard  this  he  said,  'Come  on,  you  need  not 
worry,  I  will  settle  the  account  with  the  inn- 
keeper.' 

"During  the  supper  Martinus  spoke  many 
devout,  friendly  words,  so  that  the  merchants 

72 


OUT  OF  MONASTIC  CONFINEMENT 

and  we  became  silent  In  his  presence,  paying 
more  attention  to  his  words  than  all  the 
food.  During  these  remarks  he  deplored 
with  a  sigh  the  fact  that  the  princes  and  lords, 
altho  at  this  very  time  assembled  at  the  Diet 
of  Nuremberg  on  account  of  the  word  of 
God,  the  pending  controversies,  and  the  griev- 
ances of  the  German  nation,  should,  never- 
theless, be  Inclined  to  nothing  more  than  to 
spend  the  short  time  in  expensive  tourna- 
ments, slelgh-rlding,  unchastlty,  pride,  and 
prostitution,  altho  fear  of  God  and  solemn 
prayer  to  God  would  be  of  greater  help. 
'But  so  are  our  Christian  princes.*  He  said, 
further,  that  he  cherished  the  hope  that  the 
gospel  truth  would  bear  more  fruit  with  our 
children  and  descendants  who  were  not 
poisoned  by  the  papal  error,  but  were  now 
being  planted  upon  pure  truth  and  God's 
word,  than  with  the  parents  In  whom  the 
errors  were  so  deeply  rooted  that  they  could, 
perhaps,  not  be  easily  rooted  out. 

"Thereupon  the  merchants  also  gave  ex- 
pression to  their  opinion,  and  the  older  one 
said,  'I  am  a  plain,  simple  layman,  do  not 
especially  understand  the  controversies;  this, 
however,  I  do  say,  as  the  matter  strikes  me : 
Luther  must  either  be  an  angel  from  heaven 
or  a  devil  out  of  hell.     I  have  a  desire  to 

73 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


spend  another  ten  florins  out  of  love  for  him, 
to  be  able  to  make  my  confession  to  him; 
for  I  believe  he  would  and  could  well  direct 
my  conscience.'  In  the  meanwhile  the  inn- 
keeper came  beside  us  and  said  quietly,  *'Do 
not  worry  about  the  score,  Martinus  has  set- 
tled for  your  supper.'  That  pleased  us  much, 
not  on  account  of  the  money  and  food  and 
drink,  but  that  this  man  had  hospitably  en- 
tertained us.  After  the  supper  the  merchants 
arose,  went  to  the  stable  to  attend  to  their 
horses.  In  the  meanwhile  Martinus  stayed 
alone  with  us  in  the  room;  we  thanked  him 
then  for  his  kind  consideration  and  gift,  and 
at  the  same  time  we  showed  that  we  took 
him  for  Huldrich  ab  Hutten.  He,  however, 
said,  'I  am  not  he.' 

"Then  the  innkeeper  came,  and  Martinus 
said,  *I  have  to-night  become  a  nobleman,  for 
these  Swiss  take  me  for  Huldrich  ab  Plutten.' 
The  innkeeper  said,  *You  are  not  he,  but 
Martinus  Luther.'  Then  he  smiled,  while 
jesting  thus :  'They  take  me  for  Hutten,  you 
for  Luther,  soon  I  shall  become,  I  suppose, 
even  Markolfus.'  And  after  such  words  he 
took  a  tall  beer  glass  and  said,  according  to 
the  custom  of  the  land,  'Swiss,  let  us  drink 
another  friendly  drink  for  our  blessing.'  And 
as  I  was  about  to  take  the  glass  from  him, 

74 


OUT  OF  MONASTIC  CONFINEMENT 

he  exchanged  the  glass,  offered  me  a  glass  of 
wine  instead,  and  said,  'Beer  is  foreign  to 
you,  and  you  are  not  accustomed  to  it,  drink 
the  wine/  Then  he  arose,  threw  his  military 
coat  on  his  shoulders,  and  made  his  depart- 
ure. He  offered  us  his  hand,  and  said,  'When 
you  come  to  Wittenberg,  greet  Dr.  Jerome 
Schurf  for  me/  We  said,  'We  will  gladly 
do  that,  but  what  shall  we  call  you,  that  he 
may  understand  the  greeting  from  you?'  He 
said,  'Say  nothing  further  than  the  one  who 
is  going  to  come,  sends  you  his  greetings — 
then  he  will  straightway  understand  the 
words.'  Then  he  took  leave  of  us  and  re- 
tired. 

"After  this  the  merchants  came  into  the 
room  again  and  asked  the  innkeeper  to  serve 
them  another  drink,  during  the  drinking  of 
which  they  had  much  conversation  concern- 
ing the  guest  who  had  sat  near  them,  wonder- 
ing who  it  might  be.  But  the  innkeeper 
showed  that  he  took  him  for  Luther;  and 
they,  the  merchants,  soon  let  themselves  be 
convinced,  and  expressed  their  regret  and 
sorrow  that  they  had  so  improperly  spoken 
about  him;  and  said  that  they  would  get  up 
all  the  earlier  the  following  morning,  before 
he  would  ride  off,  and  would  bid  him  not  to 
be  provoked  at  them  nor  think  ill  of  the  fact 

75 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


that  they  had  not  recognized  him.  That  was 
done,  and  they  found  him  in  the  stable  on 
the  following  morning.  But  Martinus  an- 
swered, *You  said  last  night  during  supper 
you  would  spend  ten  florins  on  account  of 
Luther,  In  order  to  confess  to  him.  If  you 
ever  confess  to  him,  you  will,  I  think,  see  and 
learn  whether  I  am  Martinus  Luther.' 
Further  he  did  not  reveal  his  identity, 
mounted  his  horse  then  and  rode  toward 
Wittenberg. 

*'0n  the  same  day  we  journeyed  toward 
Naumburg,  and  as  we  came  to  a  village — it 
lies  at  the  foot  of  a  hill,  I  think  the  hill  is 
called  Orlamunde  and  the  village  Nass- 
hausen — thru  it  a  stream  flows  which  had 
flooded  its  banks  on  account  of  the  excessive 
rain  and  had  carried  away  a  part  of  the 
bridge,  so  that  no  one  could  cross  it  on  horse- 
back. In  this  village  we  put  up  and  found 
by  chance  the  two  merchants  in  the  inn,  who 
entertained  us  there  in  hospitable  manner 
for  the  sake  of  Luther. 

*'0n  the  following  Sunday,  the  day  before 
the  first  Sunday  of  Lent,  we  called  at  the 
house  of  Dr.  Jerome  Schurf,  in  order  to 
deliver  our  letters.  As  we  were  called 
Into  the  living-room,  behold,  we  found  the 
trooper,   Martinus,  just  as   at  Jena.     And 

76 


OUT  OF  MONASTIC  CONFINEMENT 

with  him  was  Philllpus  Melanchthon,  Justus 
Jodocus  Jonas,  Nicolaus  Amsdorf,  Dr. 
Augustin  Schurf;  they  told  him  what  had 
transpired  at  Wittenberg  during  his  absence. 
He  greeted  us  and  laughed,  pointed  with  his 
finger  and  said,  'This  is  Philip  Melanchthon, 
about  whom  I  spoke  to  you.'  " 

In  Kessler's  true-hearted  presentation  there 
is  nothing  more  remarkable  than  the  merry 
calm  of  the  powerful  man  who  was  riding 
thru  Thuringia  under  ban  and  excommunica- 
tion, his  heart  full  of  passionate  anxiety  con- 
cerning the  greatest  danger  that  was  threat- 
ening his  doctrine,  concerning  the  fanaticism 
of  his  own  followers. 

77 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 

Even  to  this  day  do  well-meaning  men  re- 
gret that  great  abuses  of  their  ancient  church 
led  to  such  a  great  revolt;  even  the  liberal 
Catholic  still  sees  in  Luther  and  Zwingli 
the  zealous  heretics  whose  wrath  brought 
about  a  schism.  May  such  a  view  soon  disap- 
pear from  Germany.  All  denominations  may 
well  attribute  to  Luther  what  in  their  faith 
to-day  is  heartfelt,  full  of  feeling,  and  rich  in 
blessing  for  their  lives.  The  heretic  of  Wit- 
tenberg is  a  reformer  of  the  German  Cath- 
olics just  as  much  as  of  the  Protestants.  Not 
only  is  that  true  because  the  teachers  of  the 
Catholic  church,  too,  grew  out  of  the  old 
scholasticism  in  their  struggle  against  him, 
and  fought  for  their  sacraments  with  new 
weapons  which  they  had  taken  from  his  lan- 
guage, culture,  and  moral  virtue;  not  merely 
either  because  he  in  reality  struck  the  church 
of  the  Middle  Ages  to  pieces  and  became  the 
factor  that  caused  his  opponents  at  Trent  to 
put  up  a  firmer  structure,  apparently  alto- 
gether in  the  ancient  forms  and  proportions ; 
but  still  more  because  he  gave  such  powerful 
expression  to  the  common  basis  of  all  Ger- 

78 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


man  confessions,  to  our  courageous,  devout, 
honorable  sincerity  and  depth  of  feeling,  that 
doctrine  and  language,  civil  order  and  moral- 
ity, the  spiritual  inclinations  of  the  people, 
science  and  poetry,  still  retain  very  much  of 
his  character,  In  which  we  all  share  even  to 
this  day.  Separate  details  of  that  which  the 
defiant,  quarrelsome  head  of  Luther  con- 
tended for,  against  Calvlnists  and  Catholics, 
have  been  condemned  by  the  unbiased  per- 
ception of  the  truth  in  modern  times.  His 
doctrine,  a  passionate,  high-strung  doctrine, 
wrenched  during  convulsive  battles  from  a 
soul  full  of  reverence,  did  not  strike  the  right 
thing  in  a  few  weighty  points;  at  times  he 
was  harsh,  unjust,  yes,  cruel  toward  his  op- 
ponents; but  the  like  of  that  Is  no  longer  to 
disturb  any  German,  for  all  the  limitations 
of  his  character  and  education  disappear  In 
the  face  of  the  abundance  of  blessing  which 
has  streamed  out  of  his  great  heart  Into  the 
life  of  his  nation. 

But,  It  will  be  said,  he  should  not  have  de- 
serted the  faith;  his  deed  has  divided  Ger- 
many Into  two  camps;  with  alternating  battle- 
cry  the  dispute  rages  even  to  our  day.  Those 
who  are  of  this  opinion,  may,  with  equal 
justice,  assert  that  the  well-known,  sacred, 
mysterious  revolt  from  the  Jewish  faith  was 

79 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


not  necessary;  why  did  the  apostles  not  Im- 
prove the  venerable  office  of  the  high  priest 
of  ZIon?  They  may  assert  that  the  English- 
man, Hampden,  would  have  done  better  to 
pay  the  ship-money  and  teach  the  Stuarts 
in  peaceful  manner  that  Orange  committed 
a  crime  when  he  did  not,  like  Egmont,  lay 
his  head  and  sword  Into  Alba's  hands;  that 
Washington  was  a  traitor  because  he  did  not 
deliver  himself  and  his  army  to  the  Eng- 
lish; they  may  condemn,  like  a  crime,  every 
great  new  thing  In  doctrine  and  life  that 
has  ever  come  out  of  fighting  against  the 
old. 

To  few  mortals  was  an  equally  great  in- 
fluence upon  contemporaries  and  posterity 
granted.  But,  like  every  great  human  life, 
the  life  of  Luther  also  gives  the  Impression 
of  a  thrilling  tragedy  as  soon  as  one  crowds 
Its  main  factors  together.  It  appears  to  us 
tripartite,  like  the  career  of  all  heroes  of 
history  to  whom  It  was  allotted  to  live  out 
their  lives.  In  the  beginning  Is  formed  the 
personality  of  the  man,  powerfully  governed 
by  the  constraining  Influences  of  the  sur- 
rounding world.  Irreconcilable  opposing  ele- 
ments. It  also  tries  to  assimilate;  but  within 
the  depths  of  the  human  soul  thoughts  and 
convictions    are    gradually    crystallzed    into 

80 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


will;  a  deed  bursts  forth,  the  Individual  en- 
ters the  battle  with  the  world.  Subsequently 
comes  a  second  period  of  powerful  activity, 
rapid  development,  great  victories.  Greater 
and  greater  does  the  Influence  of  the  individ- 
ual upon  the  many  become;  he  draws  the 
whole  nation  powerfully  into  his  paths;  he 
becomes  its  hero.  Its  model;  the  life-force  of 
millions  seems  concentrated  In  one  man. 

But  such  a  dominion  on  the  part  of  an  In- 
dividual, rounded-out  personality.  Is  not  long 
endured  by  the  spirit  of  the  nation.  How- 
ever mighty  a  power,  however  great  Its  aims 
may  be,  the  life,  strength,  and  needs  of  the 
nation  are  more  varied.  The  eternal  contrast 
between  man  and  people  becomes  visible;  the 
soul  of  the  nation  Is  also  finite,  and,  In  the 
eyes  of  the  Eternal,  a  personality;  but,  com- 
pared with  the  Individual,  it  seems  boundless. 
The  Individual  Is  constrained  by  the  logical 
conclusion  of  his  thoughts  and  acts;  all  the 
spirits  of  his  own  deeds  force  him  Into  a 
path  firmly  hedged  in;  the  soul  of  the  nation 
requires  for  Its  life  Irreconcilable  contrasts, 
an  unceasing  endeavor  In  the  most  varied 
directions.  Much  that  the  Individual  was  un- 
able to  take  up  in  his  being,  rises  In  combat 
against  him.  The  reaction  of  the  world  be- 
gins.    At  first  in  weak  manner  from  several 

81 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


directions,  with  different  tendency,  with 
slight  justification,  then  stronger  and  stronger, 
more  and  more  victoriously.  At  last  the  spir- 
itual content  of  the  Individual  life  is  confined 
within  its  own  school;  it  crystalizes  into  a 
separate  element  of  the  national  culture. 
The  last  part  of  a  great  life  is  always  filled 
with  a  secret  resignation,  with  bitterness  and 
quiet  suffering. 

That  was  true  also  of  Luther.  Of  these 
periods,  however,  the  first  extended  to  the 
day  on  which  he  posted  the  theses,  the  second 
to  the  return  from  the  Wartburg,  the  third 
to  his  death  and  to  the  beginning  of  the 
Schmalkald  War.  It  Is  here  not  the  author's 
Intention  to  describe  his  entire  life;  only  how 
he  grew  and  what  he  was  to  us  Is  to  be  briefly 
told.  Much  In  him  appears  strange  and  un- 
gracious as  long  as  one  considers  him  from 
the  distance;  but  this  human  being  has  the 
remarkable  attribute  of  becoming  greater 
and  greater  and  more  and  more  lovable  the 
closer  one  approaches.  And  It  would  fill 
even  a  good  biographer,  from  the  beginning 
to  the  end,  with  admiration,  emotion,  and 
some  good  humor. 

From  the  great  source  of  all  national 
power,  from  the  free  peasant  class,  Luther 
rose.     His   father  moved   from   Mohra,   a 

82 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


forest  village  in  the  Thuringian  Forest, 
where  his  relationship  filled  half  the  district, 
northward  into  the  region  of  Mansfeld,  to 
work  in  the  mines. 

His  father  was  stout  and  stocky,  firm  in 
resolution,  endowed  with  an  unusual  meas- 
ure of  wise  common  sense;  and  he  worked 
his  way,  after  a  hard  struggle,  thru  to  some 
wealth.  In  his  home  he  observed  strict  dis- 
cipline; even  in  his  advanced  years  Luther 
was  wont  to  think  with  a  feeling  of  tender 
sadness  of  the  severe  punishments  that  he 
had  suffered  as  a  boy,  and  of  the  grief  which 
they  had  caused  his  tender,  childlike  heart. 
Old  Hans  Luther  had,  however,  an  influence 
on  the  life  of  his  son  even  until  his  death  in 
the  year  1530.  As  his  Martin  had  secretly 
entered  the  cloister  at  the  age  of  twenty-two 
years,  he  was  exceedingly  angry;  he  had  at 
that  time  already  thought  of  providing 
his  son  with  a  good  marriage.  And  when 
friends  at  last  succeeded  in  bringing  the  an- 
gered father  to  a  reconciliation,  when  he 
faced  the  imploring  son  again,  and  the  latter 
confessed  that  a  fearful  apparition  had 
driven  him  to  the  quiet  vow  of  the  monas- 
tery, his  father  retorted  with  the  anxious 
words,  "God  grant  that  it  was  no  deception 
and  devilish  spirit."     And  still  more  did  he 

83 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


shake  the  monk's  heart  with  the  angry  ques- 
tion: "You  believed  that  you  were  obeying 
a  commandment  of  God  when  you  entered 
the  monastery,  have  you  not  heard,  too,  that 
one  is  to  obey  his  parents?"  This  word 
pierced  the  son  deeply.  And  as  he,  many 
years  later,  was  sojourning  at  the  Wartburg, 
thrust  out  of  the  church,  outlawed  by  the 
emperor,  he  wrote  to  his  father  the  touching 
words:  *'Do  you  still  wish  to  pull  me  out  of 
the  monastic  life?  You  are  still  my  father, 
I  still  your  son;  upon  your  side  stands  divine 
command  and  power,  upon  my  side  stands 
human  wantonness.  And  see,  in  order  that 
you  may  not  boast  in  the  presence  of  God, 
He  has  anticipated  you.  He  Himself  has 
taken  me  out."  From  that  time  on  the  old 
man  felt  as  if  his  son  had  been  given  back 
to  him.  Old  Hans  had  at  one  time  made 
his  calculations  on  having  a  grandson  for 
whom  he  wanted  to  work;  he  stubbornly 
came  back  to  this  thought,  unconcerned  about 
the  rest  of  the  world.  And  soon  he  zeal- 
ously admonished  his  son  to  marry,  and  it 
was  not  least  of  all  his  persuasion  to  which 
Luther  yielded.  And  as  the  father,  advanced 
in  years,  at  the  end  of  his  life  alderman  of 
Mansfeld,  was  drawing  his  last  breath,  and 
the  clergyman  bowed  over  him  and  asked 

84 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


the  departing  one  whether  he,  too,  wished  to 
die  In  the  purified  faith  in  Christ  and  the 
Holy  Gospel,  old  Hans  once  more  power- 
fully collected  his  strength  and  said  abruptly, 
"A  rogue  that  does  not  believe  In  It."  When 
Luther  told  this  later,  he  added  with  admira- 
tion, "Yes,  Indeed,  that  was  a  man  of  the 
days  of  old."  The  son,  however,  received 
the  news  of  his  father's  death  at  the  castle 
of  Coburg.  As  he  looked  at  the  letter  In 
which  his  wife  had  enclosed  the  picture  of 
his  youngest  daughter,  Magdalene,  he  said 
only  these  words  to  his  companion,  *'Well, 
my  father,  too.  Is  dead";  arose,  took  his 
psalter,  went  Into  his  bed-room,  prayed,  and 
wept  so  much  that  his  head,  as  the  faithful 
Velt  Dietrich  wrote,  was  unfit  for  anything 
on  the  following  day,  and  came  forth  again 
with  calm  soul.  And  on  the  same  day  he 
wrote  with  deep  emotion  to  Melanchthon 
concerning  the  heartfelt  love  of  his  father 
and  his  Intimate  relation  to  him.  "Never 
have  I  despised  death  as  much  as  to-day;  we 
die  so  often  before  we  finally  die.  Now  I  am 
the  oldest  In  my  family,  and  I  have  the  right 
to  follow  him." 

From  such  a  father  the  son  received  that 
along  with  him  thru  life  which  remained  the 
basis    of    his    character — truthfulness,    firm 

85 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


will,  true-hearted  trust,  and  yet  circumspect 
treatment  of  men  and  affairs  of  business. 
Rugged  were  the  years  of  his  childhood;  he 
experienced  much  that  was  harsh  in  the  Latin 
school  and  as  choir-boy,  but  also  kindness 
and  love ;  and  he  retained  that  which  is  more 
easily  preserved  in  the  small  circles  of  life, 
a  heart  full  of  faith  in  the  goodness  of  human 
nature  and  full  of  reverence  for  all  that  is 
great  on  this  earth.  At  the  University  of 
Erfurt  his  father  was  already  able  to  support 
him  with  greater  abundance,  he  felt  himself 
In  the  strength  of  youth  and  was  a  merry 
fellow  with  music  of  stringed  instruments 
and  song.  Of  his  Inner  life  at  that  time  we 
know  little,  only  that  death  drew  nigh  unto 
him  and  that  he  was  called  during  a  storm 
by  a  "terrible  apparition  from  heaven.**  In 
the  fear  of  death  he  made  a  vow  to  enter  a 
cloister,  quickly  and  secretly  he  carried  out 
his  resolve. 

From  that  point  begin  our  reports  con- 
cerning the  state  of  his  soul.  At  variance 
with  his  father,  full  of  fear  of  an  Incompre- 
hensible eternity,  frightened  by  the  wrath  of 
God,  he  began  with  convulsive  effort  a  life  of 
renunciation,  devotion,  and  penance.  He 
found  no  peace.  All  the  most  significant 
questions  of  life  stormed  with  fearful  force 

86 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


upon  his  unsupported,  Isolated  soul.  Re- 
markably strong  and  impassioned  was  the 
need  in  his  case  of  feeling  himself  in  har- 
mony with  God  and  the  world;  his  religion 
gave  him  only  things  incomprehensible,  bit- 
ter, and  repellent.  His  nature  considered 
problems  of  the  moral  world-order  most  im- 
portant. That  the  good  were  troubled,  the 
wicked  happy;  that  God  condemned  the  hu- 
man race  with  a  monstrous  curse  of  sins  be- 
cause an  inexperienced  woman  had  bitten 
Into  an  apple,  and  that  the  same  God  again 
bore  our  sins  with  love,  indulgence,  and  pa- 
tience ;  that  Christ  at  one  time  turned  honor- 
able people  away  from  Him  with  harshness, 
at  another  time  made  up  with  prostitutes, 
publicans,  murderers — "human  reason  with 
its  wisdom  becomes  mad  over  it."  Then  he 
was,  indeed,  wont  to  lament  to  his  spiritual 
father,  Staupitz,  "Dear  Doctor,  why,  our 
Lord  treats  people  in  such  horrible  manner, 
who  can  serve  Him  If  He  strikes  about  Him 
thus?"  But  when  he  received  the  answer, 
"How  could  He  otherwise  restrain  the  obsti- 
nate fellows?"  this  sensible  argument  could 
not  comfort  the  young  man.  In  his  ardent 
craving  to  find  the  Incomprehensible  God,  he 
would  examine  with  self-torment  all  his 
thoughts  and  dreams.  Every  earthly  thought, 

87 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


all  the  surgings  of  his  youthful  blood  became, 
in  his  mind,  a  horrible  injustice;  he  began  to 
despair  in  regard  to  himself,  wrestled  in  end- 
less prayer,  fasted,  scourged  himself.  At  one 
time  his  brethren  had  to  break  open  his  cell, 
in  which  he  had  lain  for  days  in  a  condition 
that  was  not  far  removed  from  madness. 
With  warm  interest  Staupitz  would  look 
upon  such  convulsive  tortures,  and,  doubt- 
less, seek  to  calm  him  with  words  of  com- 
fort, which  were  somewhat  harsh.  At  one 
time  when  Luther  had  written  to  him,  "Oh, 
my  sin,  sin,  sin!"  his  spiritual  father  gave  as 
answer:  "You  wish  to  be  without  sin,  and  yet 
have  no  real  sin.  Christ  is  the  forgiveness  of 
true  sins,  as  for  instance,  to  murder  one's 
parents,  etc. ;  if  Christ  is  to  help  you,  then  you 
must  have  a  register  in  which  the  true  sins 
are  recorded,  and  must  not  come  to  Him 
with  such  frippery  and  doll-sins  and  make  a 
sin  out  of  every  little  oversight." 

Decisive  for  the  whole  life  of  Luther  be- 
came the  manner  in  which  he  gradually 
raised  himself  out  of  such  despair.  The  God 
whom  he  was  serving  was  at  that  time  a  God 
of  fear;  His  anger  was  to  be  quieted  only  by 
the  means  of  grace  that  the  old  church  speci- 
fied, above  all  thru  continuous  confessions, 
for  which  it  gave  endless  rules  and  directions 

68 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


which  the  heart  found  empty  and  cold.  Thru 
prescribed  actions  and  the  practice  of  the  so- 
called  good  works,  the  feeling  of  real  recon- 
ciliation and  inner  peace  had  not  come  to  the 
young  man.  Then,  at  last,  a  word  of  his 
spiritual  adviser  hit  the  mark  like  an  arrow. 
"Only  that  is  true  penance  which  begins  with 
love  to  God.  Love  to  God  and  inner  exalta- 
tion is  not  the  sequel  of  the  means  to  grace 
which  the  church  teaches;  it  must  precede 
them."  This  doctrine  from  the  school  of 
Tauler  became  for  the  young  man  the  basis 
of  a  new  spiritual  and  moral  relation  to 
God. 

It  was  for  him  a  sacred  discovery.  The 
change  of  one's  own  heart  was  the  main 
thing.  For  this  he  had  to  put  forth  his  ef- 
forts; from  the  depth  of  every  human  heart 
remorse,  repentance,  reconciliation  had  to 
come.  He  himself,  every  human  being,  could 
raise  himself  alone  to  God.  Not  until  now 
did  he  surmise  what  free  prayer  is.  The 
place  of  the  far-removed  divine  power  which 
he  had  sought  in  vain  until  then  in  hundred 
rules  and  childish  confession,  was  now  taken 
in  his  case  by  the  image  of  an  all-loving  Pro- 
tector, to  whom  he  himself  could  speak  joy- 
fully and  in  tears  at  any  hour,  to  whom  he 
could  bewail  every  doubt,  who  took  an  un- 

89 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


ceasing  interest  in  him,  cared  for  him, 
granted  or  refused  his  heartfelt  requests,  He 
Himself  as  warm-hearted  as  a  good  father. 
Thus  he  learned  to  pray,  and  how  fervent 
his  prayer  became !  Now  he  lived  in  secret 
with  his  beloved  God  whom  he  had  finally 
found,  daily,  hourly.  The  intercourse  with 
that  which  is  highest  became  for  him  more 
intimate  than  with  the  dearest  beings  of  this 
earth.  When  he  had  poured  out  his  whole 
soul  before  Him,  then  calm  and  a  sacred 
peace,  a  feeling  of  unspeakable  loveliness 
came  over  him;  he  felt  himself  a  part  of  God. 
And  this  relation  he  retained  from  then  on 
during  his  entire  life.  At  present  he  no 
longer  required  the  distant  outer  paths  of 
the  old  church;  he  could,  with  his  God  in  his 
heart,  offer  defiance  to  the  whole  world.  He 
already  dared  to  believe  that  those  had 
taught  wrongly  who  laid  such  great  weight 
upon  the  works  of  penitence,  that  beside 
these,  cold  making  of  amends  and  detailed 
confession,  alone,  were  all  that  was  left.  And 
as  he  later  learned  thru  Melanchthon  that 
the  word  for  penitence,  ^'metanoia,'*  in  the 
Greek  gospel  signified  in  Itself  literally  the 
change  of  the  heart,  it  seemed  to  him  like  a 
wonderful  revelation.  Upon  this  basis  is 
jpoted  the  devout  assurance  with  which  he 

90 


■^■j^iamnctKxsam 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


set  the  words  of  the  gospels  over  against  the 
prescriptions  of  the  church. 

Upon  such  a  course  Luther  gradually 
worked  his  way  In  the  cloister  thru  to  inner 
freedom.  His  entire  later  teaching,  the  fight 
against  the  remission  of  sins,  his  unwaver- 
ing firmness,  his  method  of  interpreting  the 
Scriptures,  rest  upon  the  Inner  process  thru 
which  he,  as  monk,  found  his  God.  And  it 
may  doubtless  be  said  that  the  new  epoch  In 
German  history  began  with  Luther's  cloister 
prayers.  Soon  life  was  to  take  him  under 
Its  hammer,  to  temper  the  pure  metal  of  his 
soul. 

It  was  with  reluctance  that  Luther  ac- 
cepted, in  1508,  the  professorship  of  dialec- 
tics at  the  new  university  of  Wittenberg.  He 
would  rather  have  taught  the  theology  which 
he  even  then  considered  the  true  one.  It  Is 
known  that  he  went  to  Rome  in  1 5 1 0  on  mat- 
ters of  business  concerning  his  order,  how 
devoutly  and  piously  he  tarried  in  the  Holy 
City,  and  with  what  horror  the  heathenish 
conduct  of  the  Italians,  the  moral  corruption 
and  secularization  of  the  clergy  filled  him. 
It  was  there  that  he,  while  reading  mass,  was 
disturbed  In  his  worship  by  base  jokes  that 
the  Roman  brethren  of  his  order  called  out 
to   him.      He   did   not   forget   the   Infernal 

91 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


words  as  long  as  he  lived.  But  however 
deeply  the  corruption  of  the  hierarchy  agi- 
tated him,  the  latter  embraced  none  the  less 
also  all  his  hopes;  outside  of  it  there  was  no 
God  and  no  blessedness.  The  exalted  idea 
of  the  Catholic  church  and  its  victories  of 
fifteen  hundred  years  held  the  mind  of  even 
the  strongest  enchained.  And  as  he,  in  the 
Roman  priestly  dress,  examined  the  ruins  of 
ancient  Rome  with  danger  to  his  life,  and 
stood  astonished  before  the  gigantic  pillars 
of  the  temples  which,  according  to  legend, 
had  once  been  broken  by  the  Goths,  the  val- 
iant man  from  the  hills  of  the  ancient  Her- 
mundurl  had  as  yet  little  premonition  of  the 
fact  that  his  own  fate  would  be  to  strike  to 
pieces  the  temples  of  the  Middle  Ages  more 
thoroly,  angrily,  imposingly,  than  the  cousins 
of  his  ancestors  had  done  in  past  ages.  As  yet 
Luther  returned  from  Rome  a  loyal  son  of 
the  great  mother;  all  the  heretic  behavior, 
for  example,  of  the  Bohemians,  was  to  him 
an  object  of  hatred.  Warm  Interest  was 
taken  by  him,  after  his  return  home,  in 
Reuchlln's  struggle  against  the  Cologne  in- 
quisitors; and  about  1512  he  stood  on  the 
side  of  the  humanists.  But  even  then  he 
felt  that  something  separated  him  from  this 
form  of  culture.     When  he  was  in  Gotha  a 

92 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


few  years  later,  he  did  not  visit  the  estimable 
Mutianus  Rufus,  altho  he  wrote  him  a  very 
courteous  letter  of  apology.  And  soon  after 
this  the  dialogues  of  Erasmus  offended  him 
by  the  inner  coldness  and  worldly  tone  in 
which  the  theological  sinners  were  derided. 
The  secular  worldliness  of  the  humanists 
never  became  quite  congenial  to  Luther's 
soul,  so  full  of  joy  in  its  faith;  and  the  pride 
with  which  he  later  offended  the  sensitive 
Erasmus  in  a  letter  that  was  to  be  concilia- 
tory, lay  perhaps  even  then  in  his  soul.  Also 
the  forms  of  Luther's  literary  modesty  at 
this  time  give  the  impression  that  they  are 
wrested  from  a  firm  heart  thru  the  constraint 
of  Christian  humility. 

For  in  his  faith  he  felt  himself  secure  and 
great;  as  early  as  1516  he  wrote  to  Spalatin, 
who  brought  about  the  relation  between  him 
and  the  elector,  Frederic  the  Wise,  that  the 
elector  was  the  wisest  of  all  men  in  matters 
of  this  world,  but  where  it  was  a  question 
of  God  and  the  salvation  of  the  soul  he  was 
struck  by  a  sevenfold  blindness. 

And  Luther  had  reasons  for  this  utterance ; 
for  the  sense  of  this  temperate  prince,  like 
that  of  the  father  of  a  family,  was  shown 
also  in  the  fact  that  he  was  anxious  to  garner 
the  means  of  grace  of  the  church  with  wise 

93 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


care.  Among  other  characteristics  he  had  an 
especial  liking  for  holy  relics,  and  just  at 
that  time  Staupltz,  vice-general  of  the  Augus- 
tinlan  order  of  monks  In  Saxony,  was  oc- 
cupied on  the  Rhine  and  elsewhere  In  col- 
lecting treasures  of  relics  for  the  elector. 
For  Luther  this  absence  on  the  part  of  his 
superior  became  significant,  for  he  had  to 
fill  his  place.  He  became  a  powerful  man 
In  his  order;  altho  a  professor — since  1512 
— of  theology,  he  still  dwelt  In  his  monastery 
at  Wittenberg,  and  generally  wore  his  cowl. 
Now  he  made  visits  In  the  thirty  cloisters  of 
his  congregation,  dismissed  priors,  pro- 
nounced severe  censure  upon  poor  discipline, 
and  urged  austerity  toward  monks  who  had 
fallen.  But  he  still  retained  some  of  the  be- 
lieving simplicity  of  the  friar. 

For  In  such  a  frame  of  mind  he  wrote, 
with  confidence  and  German  uprightness,  to 
the  protector  of  the  seller  of  Indulgences,  the 
Archbishop  Albert  of  Mainz,  on  the  31st 
of  October,  1517,  after  he  had  fastened  the 
theses  against  Tetzel  on  the  church  door. 
Full  of  the  good  popular  belief  In  the  Intelli- 
gence and  goodwill  of  the  highest  rulers, 
Luther  thought — he  often  said  so  later — 
that  it  would  depend  only  upon  one's  present- 
ing the  disadvantage  and  the  Immorality  of 

94 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


such  abuses  In  an  upright  way  to  the  princes 
of  the  church.  How  childish,  however,  the 
sleek  and  humane  ecclesiastical  prince  found 
this  zeal  of  the  monk!  What  provoked  the 
honest  man  so  deeply  had  long  since  been 
settled  from  the  archbishop's  point  of  view. 
The  bartering  In  indulgences  was  an  evil  of 
the  church,  complained  of  a  hundred  times; 
It  was,  however,  unavoidable,  as  the  politi- 
cian finds  many  Institutions,  which,  tho  not 
good  In  themselves,  must  be  preserved  for 
the  sake  of  some  great  Interest.  The  great- 
est Interest  In  the  eyes  of  the  archbishop  and 
the  curia  was  their  dominion,  which  was 
gained  and  kept  thru  such  an  acquisition  of 
money.  The  great  Interest  in  the  minds  of 
Luther  and  the  people  was  the  truth.  Thus 
the  roads  parted. 

And  so  Luther  entered  the  battle,  full  of 
faith,  a  loyal  son  of  the  church,  full  of  Ger- 
man devotion  for  authorities.  But  again  he 
bore  within  him  that  which  strengthened  him 
against  a  too  powerful  influence  on  the  part 
of  such  authority,  a  firm  relation  to  his  God. 
He  was  at  that  time  thirty-four  years  old,  in 
the  bloom  of  his  strength,  of  medium  size, 
with  a  body  that  was  still  slender,  but  strong, 
which  seemed  tall  beside  the  small,  delicate, 
boylike  figure  of  Melanchthon,    In  a  face  in 

95 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


which  one  saw  the  evidence  of  night-watch- 
ing and  inner  conflicts,  there  glowed  two  fiery 
eyes,  the  powerful  brightness  of  which  was 
hard  to  bear.  A  respected  man,  not  only  in 
his  order,  but  also  at  the  University;  no  great 
scholar — he  learned  Greek  from  Melanch- 
thon  not  until  the  following  year,  right  after 
It  Hebrew;  he  possessed  no  comprehensive 
book  learning  and  had  never  had  the  ambi- 
tion of  shining  as  a  poet  in  the  Latin  verses 
which  he  occasionally  wrote.  But  he  was  re- 
markably well  versed  in  the  Holy  Scriptures 
and  the  writings  of  separate  church  fathers, 
and  what  he  had  taken  Into  his  mind  he  had 
digested  with  German  thoroness.  He  was 
an  untiring  minister  to  his  parish,  zealous 
preacher,  a  warm  friend,  even  at  that  time 
again  of  a  sincere  cheerfulness,  of  a  firm  bear- 
ing, courteous  and  affable.  In  social  intercourse 
of  an  inner  assurance  that  often  brightened 
up  his  countenance  like  a  merry  humor.  It  is 
true  that  little  events  of  the  day  were  able  to 
move  and  disturb  him,  he  was  excitable,  he 
wept  easily;  but  when  a  great  task  was  ex- 
acted of  him,  and  he  had  overcome  the  first 
excitement  of  his  nerves — which,  for  In- 
stance, still  made  him  feel  embarrassed  at  his 
first  appearance  at  the  Imperial  Diet  of 
Worms — then  he  was  of  a  wonderful  calm 

96 


Philip  Melanchthon 

Born,    1497;   Died,    1560 

From  a  Painting 

by  Lucas  Cranach 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


and  assurance.  He  knew  no  fear;  yes,  his 
lionlike  nature  found  pleasure  in  the  most 
dangerous  situations.  Chance  dangers  of 
death  Into  which  he  fell,  malicious  plots  on 
the  part  of  his  enemies  were  In  his  mind  at 
that  time  hardly  worth  mentioning.  The 
basis  of  such,  one  may  say,  superhuman 
heroic  courage,  was  again  the  firm,  personal 
relation  to  his  God.  He  had  long  spells 
when  he  wished  the  tortures  of  a  martyr  for 
himself,  smiling  and  joyful  In  heart,  In  order 
to  serve  the  truth  and  his  God.  As  yet  fear- 
ful battles  were  In  store  for  him,  but  they 
were  not  of  the  kind  in  which  human  beings 
stood  face  to  face  with  him.  The  devil  him- 
self he  had  to  lay  low  for  years  to  come, 
again  and  again;  he  overcame,  too,  the  fear 
and  pain  of  hell,  which  was  busily  occupied 
In  obscuring  his  reason.  Such  a  man  was, 
perhaps,  to  be  killed,  but  hardly  to  be  con- 
quered. 

The  period  of  the  conflict  which  now  fol- 
lows, from  the  beginning  of  the  controversy 
over  indulgences  until  his  departure  from  the 
Wartburg,  the  time  of  his  greatest  victories, 
of  a  monstrous  popularity,  is,  perhaps,  most 
generally  known,  and  yet  his  character,  thus 
It  seems  to  us.  Is  not  always  correctly  judged 
even  here. 

97 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


Nothing  during  this  time  is  more  remark- 
able than  the  manner  In  which  Luther  gradu- 
ally became  estranged  from  the  Roman 
church.  He  was  modest  in  life  and  without 
ambition;  with  the  deepest  reverence  he 
clung  to  the  lofty  idea  of  the  church,  the  com- 
munity of  the  faithful  for  fifteen  centuries. 
And  yet  he  was  to  be  separated,  in  four 
short  years,  from  the  faith  of  his  fathers, 
hurled  away  from  the  soil  In  which  he  was 
so  firmly  rooted.  And  during  this  whole 
period  he  was  to  stand  alone  In  the  fight; 
alone,  or,  at  least,  together  with  few  loyal 
comrades — after  1518  with  Melanchthon. 
All  the  dangers  of  the  fiercest  war  he  was  to 
pass  thru,  not  only  against  countless  enemies, 
but  also  against  the  anxious  dissuasion  of 
honorable  friends  and  protectors.  Three 
times  did  the  Roman  party  attempt  to  bring 
him  to  silence — thru  the  commission  of  Caje- 
tan,  the  persuasive  skill  of  Mlltltz,  the  un- 
timely assiduity  of  the  disputatious  Eck; 
three  times  he  himself  addressed  the  pope  In 
letters  which  belong  to  the  most  valuable  doc- 
uments of  those  years.  Then  the  separation 
came;  he  was  cursed  and  exiled.  According 
to  ancient  university  custom  he  burned  the 
hostile  declaration  of  enmity,  at  the  same 
time  also  the  possibility  of  return.     With 

98 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


joyous  confidence  he  journeyed  to  Worms,  In 
order  that  the  princes  of  his  nation  might 
decide  whether  he  should  die  or  live  on 
among  them  without  pope  and  without 
church,  according  to  the  Scriptures  alone. 

At  first,  when  he  had  put  into  print  the 
theses  against  Tetzel,  he  was  astonished  at 
the  great  sensation  which  they  caused  in 
Germany,  at  the  venomous  hatred  of  his  ene- 
mies, and  at  the  signs  of  joyous  recognition 
which  he  received  from  many  sides.  Had  he 
really  done  anything  so  unheard  of?  Why, 
what  he  had  given  expression  to  was  be- 
lieved by  all  the  best  men  of  the  church !  As 
the  bishop  of  Brandenburg  sent  the  abbot 
of  Lehnin  to  him  with  the  request  that  Luther 
might  suppress  the  printing  of  his  German 
sermon  on  indulgence  and  divine  grace,  how- 
ever right  he  might  be,  it  moved  the  brother 
of  the  poor  Augustinian  monastery  deeply 
that  such  great  men  should  speak  to  him  in 
a  friendly  and  heartfelt  manner;  and  he  was 
willing  rather  to  give  up  the  printing  than 
make  himself  a  monster  that  would  interfere 
with  the  church.  He  zealously  endeavored 
to  refute  the  report  that  the  elector  had 
caused  his  controversy  with  Tetzel.  ''They 
wish  to  entangle  the  innocent  prince  In  the 
hatred  which  is  hitting  mc."     He  was  wlll- 

99 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


ing  to  do  everything  to  preserve  peace,  be- 
fore Cajetan,  with  Mlltitz;  one  thing  only 
he  was  not  willing  to  do  :  not  retract  what  he 
had  said  against  the  unchristianlike  extension 
of  the  traffic  in  indulgences.  But  It  was  the 
recantation  alone  that  the  hierarchy  desired 
of  him.  For  a  long  time  he  still  wished  for 
peace,  conciliation,  the  return  to  the  peaceful 
activity  of  his  cell,  and  again  and  again  a 
false  assertion  of  his  opponents  set  his  blood 
aglow,  and  every  contradiction  was  followed 
by  a  new,  sharper  blow  of  his  weapon. 

Even  In  his  first  letter  to  Leo  X,  of  May 
30,  1518,  Luther's  heroic  assurance  Is  sur- 
prising. He  is  still  entirely  the  loyal  son  of 
the  church;  at  the  conclusion  he  still  lays  him- 
self at  the  feet  of  the  pope,  offers  him  his 
whole  life  and  existence,  and  promises  to 
honor  his  voice  like  the  voice  of  Christ, 
whose  representative.  In  his  opinion,  the  lord 
of  the  church  was.  But  out  of  this  devotion, 
which  was  becoming  of  a  brother  of  the 
Order,  the  Impetuous  words  already  flash: 
*'If  I  have  merited  death,  I  do  not  refuse 
to  die."  And  In  the  letter  Itself,  how  power- 
ful the  expressions  are  in  which  he  shows  the 
rudeness  of  the  peddlers  of  Indulgences! 
Sincere  Is  here,  too,  the  surprise  that  his 
theses  are  really  causing  so  much  sensation, 

100 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


their  sentences  difficult  to  understand,  and, 
according  to  old  usage,  involved  and  enig- 
matical. And  good  humor  resounds  thru 
the  manly  words:  *'What  am  I  to  do?  Re- 
cant I  cannot.  In  our  century  full  of  Intelli- 
gence and  beauty,  which  could  force  a  Cicero 
to  the  wall,  I,  untutored,  weak,  not  finely 
cultured  man !  But  necessity  impels,  the 
goose  cannot  but  cackle  among  swans." 

In  the  year  that  followed  almost  all  who 
revered  Luther  united  in  bringing  about  the 
reconciliation.  Staupitz  and  Spalatin,  back 
of  these  the  elector,  reproved,  entreated,  and 
urged.  The  papal  chamberlain,  von  Miltitz, 
himself  praised  Luther^s  standpoint,  whis- 
pered In  his  ear  that  he  was  quite  right,  made 
entreaties,  drank  to  his  health,  and  kissed 
him.  Luther,  to  be  sure,  believed  he  knew 
that  the  courtier  had  the  secret  commission 
of  bringing  him,  if  possible,  as  a  captive  to 
Rome.  But  the  mediators  happily  found  the 
point  on  which  the  defiant  man  heartily 
agreed  with  them:  that  the  respect  for  the 
church  would  have  to  be  preserved,  and  its 
unity  not  destroyed.  Luther  promised  to 
keep  quiet  and  leave  the  decision  of  the  points 
of  dispute  to  three  worthy  bishops.  In  this 
position  he  was  urged  to  write  a  letter  of 
apology  to  the  pope.     But  also  this  letter  of 

101 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


the  3rd  of  March,  1519,  without  doubt  ap- 
proved by  the  intercessors  and  wrested  from 
the  writer,  is  characteristic  of  the  progress 
which  Luther  had  made.  Of  humility,  which 
our  theologians  read  out  of  it,  there  is  little 
to  be  found;  thruout,  however,  it  is  true,  a 
cautious  diplomatic  bearing.  Luther  de- 
plores the  fact  that  that  should  be  considered 
lack  of  reverence  in  him  which  he  had  really 
done  to  protect  the  honor  of  the  Roman 
church;  he  promises  to  remain  silent  hence- 
forth in  regard  to  indulgences — that  is,  in 
case  his  opponents  are  willing  to  do  the  same. 
He  promises  to  address  a  letter  to  the  people 
in  which  he  will  admonish  them  to  obey  the 
church  in  upright  manner  and  not  to  become 
estranged  from  it  because  his  opponents  had 
been  Impudent,  he  himself  harsh.  But  all 
these  respectful  words  do  not  cover  the 
chasm  which  even  now  separates  his  heart 
from  the  affairs  of  Rome.  And  It  sounds 
like  cold  Irony  when  he  writes :  "What  am  I 
to  do.  Most  Holy  Father?  I  lack  all  counsel. 
The  power  of  thy  wrath  I  cannot  endure, 
and  yet  I  do  not  know  how  I  am  to  make  my 
way  out.  A  recantation  Is  demanded  of  me. 
If  It  could  bring  about  what  one  purposes  to 
do  with  It,  I  should  without  any  doubt  recant. 
But   the    opposition    of   my   opponents   has 

102 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


spread  my  writings  farther  than  I  had  ever 
hoped;  they  are  too  deeply  seated  in  the  souls 
of  human  beings.  In  our  Germany  talents, 
culture,  free  judgment  are  now  flourishing. 
If  I  should  wish  to  recant,  I  should  cover  the 
church,  in  the  judgment  of  my  Germans,  with 
still  greater  shame.  And  it  is  they,  my  op- 
ponents, who  have  brought  the  Roman 
church  to  shame  with  us  in  Germany."  At 
the  end  he  closes  in  polite  manner:  "If  I 
should  be  able  to  do  more,  I  shall,  without 
any  doubt,  be  very  ready  to  do  so.  May 
Christ  preserve  your  Lordship.   M.  Luther." 

Much  can  be  read  back  of  this  measured 
reserve.  Even  if  the  vain  Eck  had  not  right 
after  this  driven  the  whole  University  at  Wit- 
tenberg into  choler,  this  letter  could  hardly 
be  considered  at  Rome  as  a  sign  of  penitent 
submission. 

The  thunderbolt  of  excommunication  had 
been  hurled,  Rome  had  spoken.  Then  Luther 
wrote,  again  wholly  himself,  once  more  to 
the  pope  that  famous  great  letter  which 
he  dated  back  to  the  6th  of  September,  1520, 
at  the  request  of  the  untiring  Miltitz,  in  or- 
der to  be  able  to  ignore  the  bull  of  excom- 
munication. It  is  the  beautiful  transcript  of 
a  resolute  mind  which  surveys  its  opponent 
from  its  lofty  standpoint,  at  the  same  time 

103 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


so  grand  In  its  uprightness  and  of  the  noblest 
sentiment !  With  sincere  sympathy  he  speaks 
of  the  person  and  the  difficult  position  of  the 
pope,  but  It  Is  the  Interest  of  a  stranger;  he 
still  deplores  the  church  with  sadness,  but 
one  feels  that  he  himself  has  already  grown 
away  from  It.  It  Is  a  farewell  letter,  with 
cutting  sharpness,  nevertheless,  dignified 
bearing,  silent  sadness;  thus  a  man  takes 
leave  of  that  which  he  has  once  loved,  and 
found  unworthy.  For  the  Intercessors  this 
letter  was  to  be  the  last  stepping-stone,  for 
Luther  It  was  an  Inner  emancipation. 

Luther  himself  had  become  a  different 
man  during  these  years.  He  had.  In  the  first 
place,  acquired  wise  assurance  In  his  Inter- 
course with  the  most  Illustrious  of  this  earth, 
and  obtained  Insight  for  a  high  price  Into  the 
policy  and  the  private  characters  of  those 
ruling.  To  the  peaceful  nature  of  his  prince 
nothing  was  In  reality  more  grievous  than 
this  embittered  theological  controversy, 
which  at  times  furthered  his  political  affairs, 
always  disturbed  him  In  spirit.  The  peo- 
ple of  the  court  continually  tried  to  hold 
back  the  men  of  Wittenberg,  and  Luther 
was  always  careful  that  It  was  too  late.  As 
often  as  the  loyal  Spalatin  advised  against 
the  publication  of  a  new  warlike  document, 

104 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


he  received  the  answer  that  nothing  could  be 
done,  that  the  sheets  were  printed,  already 
in  many  hands,  could  no  longer  be  kept  back. 
Also  In  his  dealings  with  his  opponents  Luther 
acquired  the  assurance  of  a  tried  combatant. 
He  still  took  bitter  offence  when  Jerome 
Emser  had  cunningly  taken  him  In  Dresden 
to  a  supper  In  the  spring  of  1518,  at  which 
he  was  forced  to  argue  with  angry  enemies; 
especially  when  he  learned  that  an  alms-gath- 
ering friar  had  listened  at  the  door  and  cir- 
culated in  the  town  the  next  day  that  Luther 
had  been  given  a  sound  drubbing,  and  that 
the  listener  had  with  difficulty  refrained  from 
jumping  Into  the  room  and  spitting  in 
Luther's  face.  At  his  first  meeting  with 
Cajetan  he  still  sank  humbly  at  the  feet  of 
the  ecclesiastic  prince;  after  his  second,  he 
already  permitted  himself  to  have  the  opinion 
that  the  cardinal  was  adapted  to  his  work  as 
a  donkey  to  the  harp.  The  genteel  Miltltz 
he  treated  with  corresponding  civility.  The 
Romanist  had  hoped  to  tame  the  German 
bear;  soon  the  courtier  came  Into  the  posi- 
tion himself  that  suited  him,  he  was  made  use 
of  by  Luther.  And  In  the  Leipzig  debate 
with  Eck  the  favorable  Impression  which 
Luther's  upright  and  firm  manner  caused, 
was  the  best  counterpoise  to  the  conceited 

105 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


assurance   of  his   skillful  opponent. 

But  Luther's  inner  life  demands  greater 
sympathy.  It  was  for  him,  as  we  know,  a 
dreadful  period;  right  beside  exaltation  and 
victory  there  lay  for  him  deadly  anxiety, 
torturing  doubt,  terrible  trials.  He  with 
but  few  against  all  Christendom  in  arms, 
more  and  more  inexpiably  at  variance  with 
the  strongest  power  that  still  embraced 
everything  within  itself  that  had  been  sacred 
unto  him  since  his  youth.  What  if  he  should 
be  mistaken  in  the  one  thing  or  the  other? 
He  was  responsible  for  every  soul  which  he 
bore  along  with  him.  And  whither?  What 
was  there  outside  of  the  church?  Ruin,  tem- 
poral and  eternal  destruction.  When  oppo- 
nents and  timid  friends  slashed  his  heart  with 
reproofs  and  warnings,  incomparably  greater 
was  his  grief,  the  secret  gnawing,  the  un- 
certainty which  he  could  confess  to  no  one. 
Yes,  in  prayer  he  found  peace;  as  often  as 
his  soul,  seeking  God,  glowed  in  a  powerful 
elevation,  there  came  to  him  abundance  of 
strength,  calm,  and  cheerfulness.  But  in  the 
hours  of  exhaustion,  when  his  irritable  tem- 
per was  quivering  under  repulsive  Impres- 
sions, then  he  felt  constrained,  divided,  under 
the  spell  of  another  power  which  was  hostile 
to  his  God.     From  his  childhood  he  knew 

106 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


how  busily  the  evil  spirits  soar  about  man, 
from  the  Scriptures  he  had  learned  that  the 
devil  works  against  the  purest  man  in  order 
to  cause  his  ruin.  Also  upon  his  paths  busy 
devils  were  lurking  for  the  purpose  of  weak- 
ening, misleading  him,  making  countless 
others  wretched  thru  him.  He  saw  them  at 
work  In  the  cardinal's  angry  features,  In 
Eck's  derisive  countenance,  yes,  In  thoughts 
of  his  own  soul;  he  knew  how  powerful 
they  were  In  Rome.  In  his  youth  he  had  al- 
ready been  tortured  by  apparitions,  now  they 
were  coming  back  again.  Out  of  the  dark 
shadow  of  his  private  study  the  specter  of 
the  tempter  raised  its  claw-hand  against  his 
reason;  even  in  the  shape  of  the  Redeemer 
did  the  devil  approach  him  while  praying, 
shining  as  the  Prince  of  Heaven  with  the  five 
wounds,  as  the  old  church  was  wont  to  pic- 
ture him.  But  Luther  knew  that  Christ  ap- 
pears before  poor  mankind  only  in  His 
words,  or  in  a  humble  figure,  as  He  had 
hung  on  the  cross.  And  he  made  a  vehement 
effort,  and  called  out  to  the  apparition,  *'De- 
part,  thou  Infamous  devil!"  Then  the  Image 
disappeared.  Thus  the  man's  strong  heart 
labored  in  wild  indignation  for  years  ever 
anew.  It  was  a  dismal  struggle  between 
reason  and  delusion.      But  he   always  rose 

107 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


as  victor,  the  native  power  of  his  sound 
nature  conquered.  In  long  prayer,  lasting 
often  for  hours,  the  stormy  surging  of  his 
emotions  was  made  smooth;  his  solid  Intel- 
lect and  his  conscience  led  him  each  time  out 
of  doubt  to  certainty.  As  a  gracious  Inspira- 
tion of  his  God  he  felt  this  liberating  process. 
And  from  such  a  moment  on  he,  who  had 
only  just  been  filled  with  anxious  fear,  was 
Indifferent  toward  the  judgment  of  men,  un- 
shakable, unrelenting. 

Quite  different  does  his  personality  appear 
In  conflicts  with  earthly  enemies.  Here  he 
almost  always  makes  good  a  certain  superi- 
ority, most  of  all  In  his  literary  feuds. 

Gigantic  was  the  activity  as  author  which 
he  developed  from  this  time.  Until  the  year 
1517  he  had  had  little  printed;  from  that 
time  he  became  all  at  once  not  only  the  most 
productive,  but  also  the  greatest  popular 
author  of  the  Germans.  The  energy  of  his 
style,  the  force  of  his  arguments,  the  fire 
and  passion  of  his  conviction  carried  every- 
thing before  them.  In  this  manner  no  one 
had  yet  spoken  to  the  people.  To  every 
mood,  to  all  the  musical  keys  was  his  lan- 
guage suited;  now  brief  and  concise  and 
sharp  as  steel,  now  a  powerful  stream  In  rich 
expansion,  his  words  pressed  among  the  peo- 

108 


DOCTOR  T.UTHER 


pie;  figurative  expression,  convincing  com- 
parison, made  the  most  difficult  things  com- 
prehensible. It  was  a  wonderful,  creative 
power.  With  sovereign  ease  he  made  use 
of  the  language;  as  soon  as  he  laid  hold  of 
his  pen  his  mind  worked  with  the  greatest 
freedom;  in  his  sentences  the  cheerful 
warmth  is  seen  which  filled  him;  the  full 
charm  of  warm-hearted  endeavor  is  poured 
out  over  them.  And  such  power  is  not  least 
visible  in  the  attacks  with  which  he  favors 
Individual  opponents.  And  It  Is  closely  allied 
to  a  bad  habit  which  already  gave  his  ad- 
miring contemporaries  cause  for  reflection. 
He  liked  to  play  with  his  adversaries;  his 
Imagination  clothes  the  figure  of  his  enemy 
with  a  grotesque  mask,  and  this  Image  of  his 
Imagination  he  teases,  derides,  and  strikes 
with  expressions  which  do  not  sound  mild 
and  not  always  proper.  But  just  in  his  scold- 
ing his  good  humor  had,  as  a  rule,  a  concil- 
iatory effect,  naturally  not  upon  the  parties 
concerned.  Almost  never  Is  any  small  hate- 
fulness  visible,  not  seldom  his  Indestructible 
goodness  of  heart.  At  times  he  falls,  to  be 
sure,  into  a  real  artist-zeal;  then  he  forgets 
the  dignity  of  the  reformer  and  pinches  like 
a  German  peasant  child;  yes,  like  a  mischiev- 
ous hobgoblin.     How  he  worried  all  his  ad- 

109 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


versaries !  Now  with  blows  of  a  club,  wielded 
by  an  angry  giant,  again  with  the  paddle  of  a 
fool.  He  liked  to  distort  their  names  Into 
the  ridiculous.  So  they  lived  In  the  circle  at 
Wittenberg  as  animals,  as  fools.  Eck  became 
Dr.  Geek;  Murner  received  head  and  claws 
of  a  tomcat;  Emser,  who  had  his  coat  of 
arms,  the  head  of  a  horned  goat,  printed  at 
the  beginning  of  most  of  his  polemic  trea- 
tises, was  abused  as  a  goat;  the  Latin  name 
of  the  humanist,  Cochlaus,  who  had  aban- 
doned the  cause,  was  translated  back  Into 
German,  and  Luther  was  wont  to  salute  him 
as  a  snail  with  Impenetrable  armor.  Worse 
still,  fear-inspiring  even  to  his  contempora- 
ries, was  the  vehement  lack  of  consideration 
with  which  he  went  at  hostile  princes.  It  is 
true  that  he  often  granted  his  ruler's  cousin, 
Duke  George  of  Saxony,  an  unavoidable  con- 
sideration. The  two  considered  each  other 
a  prey  of  the  devil,  but  In  secret  each  re- 
spected In  the  other  a  manly  virtue;  again 
and  again  they  fell  Into  discord,  also  into 
one  In  writing;  but  again  and  again  Luther 
prayed  in  heartfelt  manner  for  the  soul  of 
his  neighbor.  On  the  other  hand  the  wicked 
arbitrariness  of  Henry  VIII  of  England  was 
repulsive  to  the  Innermost  soul  of  the  Ger- 
man reformer,  he  scolded  him  horribly^  and 

110 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


without  end;  and  even  toward  the  end  of  his 
Hfe  he  dealt  with  the  vehement  Henry  of 
Brunswick  as  with  a  bad  school-boy;  Hans- 
wurst  (merry  Andrew)  was  the  most  inno- 
cent among  many  dramatic  characters  in 
which  he  presented  him.  If  such  a  discharge 
of  haughty  zeal  later  looked  at  him  from 
the  printed  page,  and  his  friends  complained, 
then,  it  is  true,  he  was  himself  vexed  at  his 
rudeness,  he  censured  himself  and  felt  sin- 
cere sorrow;  but  his  regret  would  not  help 
him  much,  for  at  the  next  opportunity  he 
made  the  same  mistake.  And  Spalatin  had 
even  then  some  cause  for  looking  with  dis- 
trust upon  a  projected  publication  when 
Luther  undertook  to  write  in  a  very  calm  and 
gentle  manner.  His  adversaries  could  not 
be  his  equal  in  this  particular.  They  scolded 
with  just  as  much  zeal,  but  they  lacked  the 
inner  freedom.  Unfortunately  it  cannot  be 
denied  that  just  this  addition  to  the  moral 
dignity  of  his  character  was  at  times  the  salt 
which  made  his  writings  so  irresistible  to  the 
honest  Germans  of  the  sixteenth  century. 

In  the  autumn  of  1517  he  had  fallen  out 
with  a  depraved  Dominican  friar;  in  the  win- 
ter of  1520  he  burned  the  papal  bull;  in  the 
spring  of  1518  he  had  still  laid  himself  at 
the  feet  of  the  pope,  Christ's  vicegerent;  in 

111 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


the  spring  of  1521  he  had  to  declare  before 
emperor,  princes,  and  papal  legates  at  the 
Imperial  Diet  of  Worms  that  he  believed 
neither  the  pope  nor  the  ecclesiastic  councils 
alone,  but  only  the  testimonies  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures  and  reasonable  judgment. 

After  September,  1520,  Luther  knew  that 
his  cause  was  to  be  dealt  with  at  the  Imperial 
Diet  which  was  summoned  to  meet  at  Worms. 
He  knew,  furthermore,  that  the  cardinal 
legate,  Aleander,  was  constantly  urging  the 
emperor  to  severity  against  him,  that  the 
emperor  felt  averse  to  the  bold  monk 
and  had  already  had  his  books  burned  as 
heretical  in  the  Netherlands.  At  the  begin- 
ning of  January  the  Elector  of  Saxony  ar- 
rived at  Worms  where  he  already  found  the 
emperor  present;  tardily  and  slowly  the  ma- 
jority of  the  great  lords  of  the  German  em- 
pire came  together;  not  until  the  end  of 
February  could  the  Imperial  Diet  be  opened. 

The  reports  which  passed  from  Worms 
to  Wittenberg — they  required  as  much  time 
as  now  a  letter  to  North  America — became 
more  unfavorable.  Soon  it  seemed  im- 
proper to  the  emperor  and  Luther's  enemies 
that  the  excommunicated  one  should  really 
be  admitted  to  the  Imperial  Diet;  and  Elec- 
tor Frederic,  in  conjunction  with  the  other 

"     112 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


Imperial  princes  who  considered  a  condemna- 
tion without  hearing  unjust,  or  Imprudent  on 
account  of  the  great  excitement,  had  to  make 
strenuous  efforts  to  bring  It  about  that  the 
heretic  was  In  fact  still  asked  whether  he 
would  recant,  and  that  he  received  free  escort 
for  the  purpose. 

It  was,  therefore,  no  secret  for  Luther 
that  the  outlawry  of  the  empire  was  threat- 
ening him  and  that  his  death  was  probable. 
Such  a  prospect,  one  should  think,  would  Im- 
pair, to  some  extent,  the  joyousness  and  the 
purity  of  the  literary  efforts  even  on  the  part 
of  the  strongest  man.  With  him  the  oppo- 
site was  the  case.  Hardly  ever  thruout  his 
life  did  he  write  so  much  and  such  varied 
things  In  the  same  length  of  time  as  just  dur- 
ing these  months.  He  took  his  old  literary 
adversary,  Ambroslus  Catharlnus,  by  the 
hair,  and  with  even  greater  zeal  the  tedious 
Leipzig  Emser,  whom  he  thoroly  chastised, 
derided,  and  soundly  beat  In  a  long  series 
of  pamphlets.  In  a  harsh  mood,  he  caused 
the  pope  himself,  the  legates,  and  the  court- 
iers of  the  papal  court  to  be  depicted  by  his 
friend,  Lucas  Cranach,  in  wood-cuts  that 
placed  the  humility  of  the  suffering  Christ 
over  against  the  splendor  of  the  ecclesiastics. 
But  also  In  his  endeavors  towards  education 

113 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


and  care  of  the  soul  he  was  untiring.  Besides 
separate  sermons  and  the  "Instruction  for 
Confessional  Children,"  there  appeared  dur- 
ing this  time  the  first  part  of  his  homilies, 
one  of  his  chief  works;  he  wrote  further  on 
his  explanation  of  the  psalms  and  on  the 
beautiful  and  earnest  book,  "Interpretation 
of  Mary's  Magnificat." 

At  last  the  imperial  herald,  Casper  Sturm, 
who  was  called  "Germania"  In  the  Italian 
language  of  heraldry,  brought  the  letter  of 
safe-conduct  to  Wittenberg,  and  rode  ahead 
of  Luther's  carriage,  as  the  latter  started  for 
Worms  on  the  2d  of  April  with  Amsdorf 
and  two  other  companions.  In  the  towns  of 
Thurlngia  the  people  came  with  congratula- 
tions to  Luther's  carriage;  at  Erfurt  the  hu- 
manists, the  dominant  party  of  the  Univer- 
sity, went  out  to  meet  him  In  a  large  proces- 
sion on  horseback  and  instituted  a  splendid 
celebration. 

But  this  concurring  acclamation  was 
drowned  by  a  shrill,  discordant  sound.  The 
emperor,  it  Is  true,  had  promised  him  safe- 
conduct  for  the  journey  to  Worms  and  return, 
likewise  had  the  princes,  thru  whose  districts 
he  had  to  travel,  sent  him  letters  of  safe- 
conduct;  but  the  emperor  did  not  wish,  after 
all,  that  the  excommunicated  monk  should 

114 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


arrive  at  Worms,  and  In  order  to  frighten 
him,  he  ordered  even  now,  before  the  hear- 
ing, an  edict  to  be  proclaimed  and  posted  in 
the  towns,  that  all  Luther's  books  should 
be  delivered  up  to  the  authorities.  The  pla- 
card was  found  by  Luther  in  the  towns.  His 
friends  at  Worms  were  amazed.  Spalatin 
sent  a  warning  to  meet  him  that  the  fate  of 
Huss  was  threatening  him;  even  the  herald 
asked  whether  he  even  now  wished  to  jour- 
ney farther.  Luther,  too,  was  frightened, 
but  he  did  not  let  himself  be  disturbed,  and 
sent  the  answer  ahead  to  Spalatin,  that  Huss 
had  been  burned,  that  the  truth  had  not  been 
burned,  that  he  would  come  to  Worms  even 
If  the  place  contained  as  many  devils  as  tiles 
upon  Its  roofs. 

A  gentler  manner  of  turning  him  aside 
was  also  tried.  The  emperor's  father-con- 
fessor, Glapio,  came  as  of  his  own  free-will 
to  Sicklngen  at  the  Ebenburg,  said  many  kind 
and  appreciative  things,  and  urgently  ad- 
vised Luther  to  avoid  Worms,  and  come  to 
Ebenburg,  in  order  that  they  might  there  try 
to  find  some  way  of  arriving  at  an  under- 
standing. 

If  Luther  agreed  to  this.  It  was  Impossible 
to  keep  within  the  period  during  which  he 
was  protected  by  the  letter  of  safe-conduct. 

115 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


Luther  answered  the  well-wishing  bearer  of 
this  exhortation  that  if  the  emperor's  father- 
confessor  had  anything  to  discuss  with  him, 
he  could  be  found  at  Worms. 

As  he  drove  into  Worms  on  the  last  day 
of  the  time  allowed  him  for  the  journey,  a 
procession  of  a  hundred  horsemen,  for  the 
most  part  Saxon  lords,  who  had  gone  to  meet 
him,  conducted  him;  the  people  curiously 
filled  the  streets,  and  to  his  quarters  which 
were  assigned  to  him  in  the  house  of  the 
Order  of  St.  John,  there  came  even  into  the 
night  many  aristocratic  visitors,  curious  and 
sympathetic.  The  following  day  he  was  al- 
ready invited  before  the  Imperial  Diet. 

That  Luther  had,  after  all,  ventured  to 
come  was  an  untoward  surprise  to  the  papal 
party;  it  was  also  very  inopportune  for  the 
emperor;  therefore  it  was  now  important  to 
put  aside  as  soon  as  possible,  by  means  of  a 
rapid  decision,  the  excitement  which  his  pres- 
ence was  causing  among  the  Germans.  On 
the  other  hand  his  protectors  and  the  major- 
ity of  the  German  princes  who  wished  an  ad- 
justment and  amicable  settlement  of  the  per- 
ilous controversy,  had  the  opposite  Interest: 
not  to  make  too  short  work  of  the  affair. 
More  than  others.  Elector  Frederic  the  Wise, 
whose  cautious  manner  found  the  violent  and 

116 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


superficial  procedure  quite  repugnant,  and 
who  had,  in  consequence,  come  Into  the  worst 
kind  of  a  position  In  his  relation  to  the  em- 
pire. He  required  time  to  be  able  to  satisfy 
his  conscience  and  come  to  some  conclusion. 
It  had  long  since  been  known  to  his  trusted 
advisers  that  the  question  would  be  pointed 
merely  at  recantation,  and  that  there  could 
be  no  thought  at  all  of  discussing  and  de- 
bating before  the  Imperial  Diet;  Luther, 
however,  had  definitely  told  them  that  he 
would  recant  nothing.  He  was,  therefore, 
to  satisfy  his  lord  and  all  who  were  Inclined 
to  mediate,  in  the  first  place,  by  asking  for 
time  to  reflect,  in  the  serious  and  dlfl^cult 
matter.  It  was  a  matter  of  importance  to 
postpone  the  last  decision,  and  Luther  had 
to  yield  to  this  constraint  whether  he  wished 
to  or  not. 

On  the  17th  of  April,  four  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  Luther  was  called  for  by  the  Im- 
perial marshal,  Ulrlch  von  Pappenheim,  and 
the  herald,  to  be  taken  to  the  Imperial  Diet. 
In  the  streets  the  people  thronged  and 
climbed  upon  the  roofs  to  see  Luther,  so  that 
he  was  conducted  on  side  streets  to  the  court 
of  the  bishop,  where  the  Imperial  Diet  was 
assembled.  The  court  had  once  been,  ac- 
cording to  ancient  popular  belief,  the  kingly 

117 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


dwelling  of  the  Burgundlan  Gunther;  there 
the  latter  had  made  the  secret  plot  with  the 
gloomy  Hagen  against  the  life  of  the  hero 
Siegfried.  Since  then  the  French  have  com- 
pletely destroyed  the  famous  structure.  In 
the  large  hall,  which  was  opened  on  the  side 
toward  the  ante-room,  the  princes  and  lords 
of  the  Imperial  Diet  sat,  so  that  they  could 
be  seen  from  without,  the  spoken  words, 
doubtless,  heard  too.  But  the  princes  them- 
selves were  wont  not  to  speak  during  the  ses- 
sions, their  counsellors  did  that  for  them; 
and  the  lords  withdrew  for  private  counsel 
when  they  had  to  make  some  decision. 

As  Luther  was  brought  In,  Papenheim  ad- 
monished him  by  saying  that  he  must  say 
nothing  before  the  distinguished  assembly 
except  in  answer  to  questions  put  to  him.  At 
his  entrance  he  did  not  kneel  down,  as  was 
at  that  time  expected  of  a  monk,  before  the 
eminence  of  the  emperor  and  the  papal  le- 
gates, but  remained  standing  erect.  He  saw 
before  him  the  pale  countenance  and  the  sad 
look  of  the  young  emperor,  close  beside  him 
the  red  legates  of  the  pope;  he  saw  the  wor- 
ried look  in  the  kind  face  of  his  elector,  and 
found  himself  in  the  presence  of  all  the  illus- 
trious princes  and  lords  concerning  w^hose 
attitude  and  opinion  he  had  heard  so  much 

118 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


in  the  last  years.  The  official  of  the  arch- 
bishop of  Trier  began,  as  spokesman  of  the 
emperor,  from  where  he  was  sitting:  "His 
majesty  the  emperor  has  sent  you,  Martinus 
Luther,  order  and  summons  for  the  present 
Imperial  Diet,  in  order  that  you  give  answer 
first  as  to  whether  you  acknowledge  the 
authorship  of  the  books  and  documents 
which  have  appeared  under  your  title  and 
name  everywhere  in  the  Holy  Roman  Em- 
pire, and  whether  you  wrote  the  same  as 
they  lie  before  us."  He  pointed  at  a  heap 
of  books  which  was  lying  upon  a  bench.  Then 
Jerome  Schurf,  who  together  with  five  other 
doctors  formed  Luther's  legal  advisers,  cried 
out,  "Have  the  titles  read,"  and  Luther  re- 
peated the  request. 

The  official  read  the  titles  of  the  books 
that  had  aroused  the  nation  for  four  years, 
as  never  before  nor  after  the  publication  of 
any  man.  Then  he  continued:  "Further, 
however.  If  you  acknowledge  the  authorship 
of  the  books,  his  imperial  majesty  desires 
that  you  here  recant  the  same;  and  for  that 
reason  he  orders  you  to  be  asked  whether 
you  will  do  that  or  not,  since  many  wicked, 
false  doctrines  form  parts  of  them,  that  can 
arouse  excitement  and  dissatisfaction  In  the 
common,  plain  people.     Consider  and  take 

119 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


that  to  heart."  Thereupon  Luther  answered 
about  thus :  "Most  high  and  mighty  emperor. 
After  I  have  appeared  very  obediently  upon 
gracious  summons,  I  make  answer  to  this 
charge,  in  the  first  place :  The  authorship  of 
the  booklets,  the  titles  of  which  have  now  been 
read,  and  of  several  others  that  were  written 
for  the  teaching  and  instruction  of  the  peo- 
ple, I  acknowledge,  and  will  abide  by  this  ac- 
knowledgment to  the  end  of  my  life.  In  the 
second  place,  however,  since  your  imperial 
majesty  desires  me  to  recant  their  content, 
I  will  answer :  This  is  In  truth  an  Important 
matter;  for  It  is  a  question  here  of  the  eter- 
nal life,  and  concerns  one  who  Is  more  than 
anyone  among  those  present,  to  Him  be- 
longs the  cause  and  action.  In  order  that  I 
may  now  not  mislead  the  poor  Christian  peo- 
ple and  myself,  I  desire  and  request  that  your 
imperial  majesty  may  be  graciously  willing 
to  fix  for  me  a  day  of  hearing  and  a  period 
for  reflection  In  respect  to  the  recantation." 
The  emperor  entered  Into  a  short  confer- 
ence with  the  princes.  The  majority  were  In 
favor  of  conceding  the  delay,  and  the  official 
made  known  to  Luther  that  the  kindness  of 
the  emperor  granted  him  time  for  reflection 
until  the  next  day  at  four  o'clock.  Luther  left 
with  the  words,  "I  will  deliberate."     In  this 

120 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


session  he  had  spoken  humbly  and  softly, 
and,  as  his  enemies  assert,  indistinctly.  It 
may  be  that  the  first  impression  of  the  as- 
sembly embarrassed  him;  it  doubtless  lay 
more  heavily  on  his  heart  that  he  was  not 
allowed  to  speak  everything  with  frankness, 
as  he  wished. 

By  temporizing  only  a  short  delay  had 
been  gained.  All  too  great  was  the  zeal  of 
the  opponents  to  put  the  trouble-maker  out 
of  the  way;  it  now  depended  upon  what  kind 
of  effect  Luther's  refusal  would  produce. 
For  that  he  would  not  recant  a  stroke  of  the 
pen,  he  had  declared  anew  after  his  return 
to  his  quarters.  On  the  1 8th  of  April  he  was 
again  called  for  at  four  o'clock,  and  had  to 
tarry  in  the  throng,  I  dare  say,  for  two  hours. 
As  he  now,  however,  entered  the  assemblage, 
he  was  quite  himself,  unconcerned  about  the 
opinion  of  all  men.  This  time  he  greeted 
the  assemblage  according  to  court  custom  by 
bending  both  knees  a  little;  he  spoke  respect- 
fully but  firmly,  and  his  voice  which  was 
clear  and  high  as  that  of  Charles  the  Great, 
was  understood  everywhere  in  the  hall.  With 
well  considered  words  he  greeted  the  em- 
peror and  the  assemblage,  and  he  begged 
pardon  at  first  in  case  he  should  act  In  word, 
gesture,  and  bearing  contrary  to  court  cus- 

121 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


torn,  since  he  had  not  been  brought  up  at 
princely  courts,  but  had  grown  up  in  the  cell 
of  a  monk.  "In  simplicity  of  heart  I  have 
until  now  written  and  taught  and  sought  noth- 
ing else  upon  earth  than  the  honor  of  God 
and  the  instruction  of  believers  in  Christ." 
Then  he  continued:  "To  the  two  questions 
which  were  put  to  me,  I  answer  thus :  I  ac- 
knowledge, as  yesterday,  that  the  books  enu- 
merated come  from  me  and  were  published 
in  my  name.  Unless  some  change  or  false 
extracts  were  made  in  some  copy,  either  by 
deception  or  the  imperfect  knowledge  of 
others;  for  I  acknowledge  the  authorship 
only  of  that  which  comes  from  me.  Now, 
however,  my  books  are  not  of  one  and  the 
same  kind,  for  in  some  I  have  treated  of 
faith  and  morals  In  quite  an  evangelical  and 
simple  manner.  These  pamphlets  have  to 
be  considered  useful  also  by  my  opponents 
and  in  every  respect  worthy  of  being  read  by 
Christians.  The  angry  and  cruel  papal  bull, 
too,  calls  some  of  my  books  harmless,  altho 
It  condemns  the  same  contrary  to  reason. 
If  I  should  wish  now  to  begin  to  recant  these 
writings,  which  friends  and  enemies  alike 
acknowledge  as  right,  I  should  fall  Into  op- 
position to  the  concurring  approbation  of 
everybody. 

122 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


*'The  second  division  of  my  books  is  writ- 
ten against  the  papacy  and  the  doings  of  the 
papal  party,  against  those  who  have  ruined 
and  corrupted  the  Christian  world  by  wicked 
teaching  and  example,  have  oppressed,  bur- 
dened, and  afflicted  the  consciences  of  believ- 
ers in  the  most  pitiable  manner,  and,  by 
means  of  incredible  tyranny,  have  swallowed 
up,  too,  in  unjust  manner,  the  property  and 
riches  of  the  very  illustrious  German  nation. 
If  I  should  want  to  recant  these  books,  I 
should  do  nothing  else  than  strengthen  such 
tyranny  and  unchristian  conduct,  and  open 
unto  it  not  only  the  windows,  but  also  the 
doors,  that  it  would  rage  and  do  harm  more 
freely  and  widely;  and  its  boldest  and  most 
blamable  wickedness  would  be  confirmed 
and  strengthened  even  beyond  the  endurance 
of  the  poor,  miserable  people.  Above  all,  if 
one  could  say  that  such  increase  of  the  evil 
had  ensued  thru  the  command  and  at  the  in- 
stigation of  your  imperial  majesty  and  the 
whole  Roman  Empire,  dear  God,  what  a 
big  cloak  for  wickedness  and  tyranny  I 
should  become  thru  such  recanting. 

"The  third  class  of  my  books  I  wrote 
against  various  individual  persons  who 
sought  to  protect  the  Roman  tyranny  and  to 
destroy  the  divine  service  that  I  have  taught. 

123 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


I  confess  having  been  more  vehement  toward 
these  opponents  than  was  fitting,  for  I  do  not 
make  myself  out  a  saint;  I  did  not  contend 
for  myself,  but  for  the  honor  of  Christ. 
These  books,  too,  I  cannot  recall,  for  thru 
my  recantation  and  retreat  the  tyrannical 
wrath  and  mad  rule  of  my  enemies  would  be 
strengthened. 

"My  Lord  Christ  said,  as  He  was  ques- 
tioned by  the  High  Priest  in  regard  to  His 
doctrine  and  was  struck  on  one  cheek  by  a 
servant,  *If  I  have  spoken  evil,  give  testi- 
mony of  the  evil.'  Since  the  Lord  did  not 
refuse  to  listen  to  any  evidence  against  His 
doctrine,  even  from  the  lowliest  servant,  how 
much  more  is  it  fitting  of  me,  the  erring  man, 
to  desire  and  expect  to  see  whether  anyone 
can  give  me  a  testimony  against  my  doctrine? 
Therefore  I  beseech  the  highest  as  well  as 
the  lowliest  by  the  mercy  of  God,  to  show  me 
my  error  and  to  overcome  me  with  the  evan- 
gelical and  prophetic  writings.  When  I  have 
been  shown  this,  I  will  be  the  first  to  cast  my 
books  into  the  fire. 

"Yesterday  I  was  earnestly  admonished  to 
stop  and  think  that  discord,  rebellion,  and  re- 
volt can  arise  in  the  world  thru  my  teaching. 
That  I  have  sufficiently  considered  and 
weighed.     In  truth,  it  is  to  me  the  most  joy- 

124 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


fill  thing  to  see  that  dissension  will  hence- 
forth arise  In  the  world  on  account  of  the 
word  of  God;  for  that  is  the  sequel  and  des- 
tiny prepared  by  the  word  of  God.  The 
Lord  Himself  says,  'I  did  not  come  to  bring 
peace,  but  the  sword;  for  I  have  come  to 
arouse  man  against  his  father.'  Let  us 
guard,  therefore,  against  condemning  the 
word  of  God  under  the  pretext  of  annull- 
ing parties  and  dissensions,  in  order  that 
no  flood  of  insufferable  evil  may  come  over 
us;  that  would  be  an  unfortunate  begin- 
ning for  the  reign  of  the  noble  young  Em- 
peror Carolus.  I  do  not  say  that  as  if  such 
great  minds  were  in  need  of  my  teaching  and 
advice,  but  because  I  am  under  obligations 
to  show  this  service  unto  my  home  country, 
Germany.  And  so  I  commend  myself  to  your 
Imperial  favor  and  beseech  that  your  Impe- 
rial majesty  may  not  be  willing  to  let  me  fall 
Into  ill-favor  thru  the  wicked  Intentions  of 
my  enemies." 

Thus  spoke,  on  the  18th  of  April,  1521,  a 
German  before  emperor  and  empire  about 
the  government  of  the  highest  ecclesiastic 
ruler  of  the  Christian  world.  The  courteous 
modesty  of  the  introduction,  the  cautious 
manner  In  which  he  made  distinctions  among 
his    books,    could    appear    a    good    speech 

125 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


even  to  his  opponents.  But  soon  he  stood 
as  a  stranger  In  the  assembly,  as  from  another 
world,  like  unto  an  ancient  warrior  who 
swings  his  Iron  rod  among  genteel  knights. 
The  pleasant  confidence  with  which  he  pic- 
tures the  heads  of  the  clergy  as  base  rascals 
in  the  presence  of  the  two  cardinals;  and 
finally  even  the  joyous  assurance,  "The  most 
joyful  thing  for  me  is  to  see  how  rebellion  is 
now  arising,''  spoken  in  the  presence  of  the 
illustrious  assembly  which  feared  nothing 
more  than  dissension  among  the  people; 
those  were  not  the  words  of  one  full  of 
anxiety,  pleading  for  his  life,  but  the  proud 
declaration  of  a  ruler  who  was  chosen  for 
victory  or  defeat. 

Dreadful  did  the  official,  too,  find  the  bold 
words  and  the  daemonic  eyes  of  the  man, 
and  he  tried  with  censure  to  set  him  right. 
"In  your  answer  there  was  thrust  and 
bite,  no  open  declaration.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary to  argue  anew  over  your  propositions. 
What  you  teach  Huss  and  other  heretics 
have  already  propounded,  and  this  teaching 
has  already  been  condemned  with  sufficient 
reason  by  pope  and  emperor  at  the  Council 
of  Constance.  Therefore  I  desire  a  plain, 
simple  answer;  are  you  willing  to  recant  or 
not?    If  you  recant,  your  innocent  pamphlets 

126 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


will  be  preserved;  If  you  do  not  recant,  no 
regard  will  be  paid  to  the  Christian  words 
which  you  have  written  besides,  and  you  will 
give  his  Imperial  majesty  cause  to  deal  with 
you  as  was  done  with  Huss  and  others." 
Thereupon  Luther  spoke  the  well-known 
words:  "Since  his  Imperial  majesty  desires 
a  plain  and  frank  answer,  I  will  give  an 
answer  that  Is  not  offensive  and  not  biting. 
I  believe  neither  the  pope  nor  the  councils 
alone,  because  It  Is  apparent  that  the  same 
have  often  erred  and  contradicted  them- 
selves. If  I  am  not  overcome  by  testimony 
from  the  Scriptures  or  with  clear  and  evident 
reasons,  I  do  not  care  to  and  will  not  correct 
or  revoke  a  word,  because  It  Is  bad  and  dan- 
gerous to  act  contrary  to  one's  conscience." 

The  official  and  Luther  had  at  first  spoken 
In  Latin,  then  repeated  their  speeches  in  Ger- 
man. After  Luther's  words  tumult  and 
murmuring  arose  In  the  hall,  and  the  follow- 
ing Latin  discourses  of  the  two  combatants 
were  not  everywhere  understood.  The  in- 
censed emperor,  however,  asked  further, 
thru  the  official,  whether  Luther  dared  to  as- 
sert that  the  councils  had  erred.  And  as 
Luther  answered:  "Councils  can  err  and 
have  erred,  and  the  one  at  Constance  decided 
contrary  to  the  clear  and  plain  text  of  the 

127 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


Holy  Scriptures,  and  I  will  prove  that,"  the 
emperor  had  heard  enough;  horrified  at 
such  presumptuousness,  he  gave  the  sign  for 
the  end  and  dispersal;  and  In  response  to  the 
emperor's  hostile  gesture  and  amid  the  cries 
of  his  opponents,  Luther  called  out  at  the 
end  the  German  words  which  run,  according 
to  the  version  which  Is  handed  down  by  Luth- 
er's theological  friends  in  the  editions  of 
his  works :  "Here  I  stand,  I  cannot  do  other- 
wise. God  help  me.  Amen."  They  were, 
however,  probably  really  spoken  thus:  ''I 
cannot  do  otherwise.  God  come  to  my  as- 
sistance.   Amen.     Here  I  am." 

It  was  these  two  days,  the  17th  and  18th 
of  April,  1521,  on  which  the  two  men  looked 
Into  each  other's  faces  who  have  divided  the 
life  of  Germany  Into  two  parts,  the  great  op- 
ponents who  contend  with  each  other  even 
to-day  In  the  descendants  of  their  spiritual 
thoughts,  the  Burgundian  Hapsburger  and 
the  German  peasant  son,  emperor  and  profes- 
sor; the  one  who  spoke  German  only  to  his 
horse,  and  the  other,  translator  of  the  Bible 
and  moulder  of  the  New  High  German  liter- 
ary language ;  the  one  ancestor  of  the  patrons 
of  the  Jesuits,  originator  of  the  Hapsburg 
family  politics,  the  other  predecessor  of  Les- 
slng,  of  the  great  poets,  historians,  and  phllos- 

128 


Frederick  the   Wise 
Prince  Elector  of  Saxony 

From   a   Paintini? 
by  T.ucas  Cranach 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


ophers.  It  was  a  momentous  hour  In  German 
history,  as  the  young  emperor,  ruler  of  half 
the  earth,  spoke  the  contemptuous  words  at 
Worms:  *'He  shall  not  make  a  heretic  of 
me."  For  at  that  time  began  the  conflict  of 
his  dynasty  with  the  family  spirit  of  the  Ger- 
man people.  A  battle  of  more  than  three  cen- 
turies, victories  and  defeats  on  both  sides. 
We,  however,  as  far  as  human  judgment  is 
able  to  recognize  the  rule  of  providence  in 
the  fate  of  nations,  have  lived  to  see  the  con- 
clusion. 

It  was,  too,  the  first  and  the  only  time,  as 
long  as  there  has  been  a  German  history,  that 
a  man  from  the  people  so  firmly  defended, 
in  peril  of  death,  the  demands  of  his  con- 
science before  the  emperor  and  the  Imperial 
Diet.  The  effect  of  this  firmness  upon  the 
German  princes  was  great;  immeasurably 
greater  was  the  effect  upon  the  people.  As 
Frederic  the  Wise  came  out  of  the  Imperial 
Diet  to  his  apartments,  he  said  with  admira- 
tion and  anxiety  to  his  confidante :  "Doctor 
Martlnus  spoke  well,  in  Latin  and  German. 
He  Is,  In  my  opinion,  much  too  daring." 
Also  in  case  of  the  princes  who  looked  with 
indifference  or  disfavor  upon  Luther  and  his 
doctrine,  the  respect  and  awe  felt  for  the 
courageous  one  had  Increased. 

129 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


Luther,  however,  as  he  had  returned 
from  the  Imperial  Diet  to  his  quarters,  cried 
out,  raising  his  hands  joyously  unto  heaven, 
"I  am  thru,  I  am  thru!"  He  had  made  his 
escape  into  free  and  open  space,  out  of  the 
thorn  bush  in  which  they  wished  to  hedge 
him. 

Now  he  was  free,  but  excommunication 
and  the  ban  of  the  empire  were  hovering 
over  his  head;  he  was  Inwardly  free,  but  he 
was  free  as  the  animal  of  the  woods  is,  and 
behind  him  the  blood-thirsty  pack  of  hounds 
was  barking.  He  had  arrived  at  the  height 
of  his  life,  and  the  powers  against  which  he 
had  rebelled,  yes,  the  thoughts  which  he  him- 
self had  aroused  among  the  people,  worked 
from  that  time  on  against  his  life  and  teach- 
ing. 

More  than  ever  before  was  the  emperor 
anxious  that  the  affair  with  the  stubborn  here- 
tic should  be  brought  to  a  close;  for  just 
during  these  days  he  had  concluded  the  al- 
liance with  the  pope,  in  which  he  obligated 
himself  to  destroy  the  false  doctrine  of 
Luther.  But  the  majority  of  the  German 
princes  still  desired  to  carry  on  further  nego- 
tiations in  a  small  circle,  where  personal 
persuasion  was  possible,  above  all  the  arch- 
bishop of  Trier  himself;  and  regard  for  the 

130 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


unwelcome  frame  of  mind  on  the  part  of  the 
Germans  forced  the  emperor  to  yield  a 
second  time.  Luther,  however,  had  now  the 
task  of  opposing  the  wise  and  urgent  persua- 
sion of  those  whom  he,  too,  respected.  Dur- 
ing these  negotiations  many  concessions  were 
made  to  him;  he  was  only  to  recognize  a  gen- 
eral council  as  the  highest  judge  of  his  doc- 
trine. He,  however,  firmly  persisted  in  his 
assertion,  that  a  council,  too,  could  err,  as 
that  of  Constance  had  erred.  At  last  Richard 
von  Trier  perceived  that  nothing  could  be 
gained  from  such  a  man  by  negotiating; 
Luther  himself  asked  that  he  might  be  dis- 
missed, and  with  respectful  greeting  the  me- 
diators parted  with  him.  The  hours  of  these 
noiseless  negotiations  did  not  help  to  hush 
the  conflict;  but  as  Luther,  on  leaving, 
spoke  the  devout  words,  "As  it  pleased  the 
Lord,  so  has  it  turned  out,  the  name  of  the 
Lord  be  blessed,"  he  could  rejoice  in  high 
spirits  over  a  great  victory  of  his  cause;  he 
had  upheld  it  before  emperor  and  empire. 
In  vain  did  his  enemies  try  to  weaken  the 
great  impression  by  criticising  his  appearance 
and  his  demeanor;  in  the  eyes  of  his  Germans 
he  had  become  a  hero  to  whom  they  looked 
up  with  admiration  and  anxious  sympathy. 
Every  intelligent  person  realized  that  this 

131 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


teacher  of  the  people,  if  he  continued  to  live, 
would  be  henceforth  of  great  significance  not 
only  for  the  doctrine  of  the  church,  but  also 
for  the  political  destinies  of  the  empire.  It 
was  now  above  all  a  matter  of  concern  to  his 
friends  to  see  whether  he  could  be  saved  from 
destruction. 

At  Worms  it  had  already  been  revealed  to 
Luther  that  he  would  have  to  disappear  for 
some  time.  The  practices  of  the  Frankonian 
knights,  among  whom  he  had  warm  admir- 
ers, suggested  the  idea  of  having  him  cap- 
tured by  armed  men.  Elector  Frederic  con- 
sulted with  his  followers  in  regard  to  carry- 
ing him  off.  And  it  was  wholly  In  accord- 
ance with  the  manner  of  this  prince  that  he 
himself  did  not  want  to  know  the  place  of 
keeping,  in  order,  in  case  of  necessity,  to  be 
able  to  swear  to  his  ignorance.  It  was,  too, 
not  easy  to  reconcile  Luther  to  the  plan;  for 
his  courageous  heart  had  long  since  overcome 
earthly  fear,  and  with  enthusiastic  joy,  which 
contained  much  wild  fancy  and  some  humor, 
he  looked  upon  the  attempts  of  the  Romanists 
to  get  him  out  of  the  world,  whom,  as  was 
known.  Another  had  to  dispose  of,  Who  was 
speaking  from  his  lips.  With  reluctance  he 
complied.  The  secret  was  not  easily  kept, 
however  skillfully  the  carrying-off  was  con- 

132 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


summated.  At  the  beginning  Melanchthon 
alone  of  the  Wittenbergers  learned  of  the 
biding  place.  But  Luther  was  not  at  all  the 
man  patiently  to  submit  to  any  concealed 
game.  There  began  soon  a  busy  running  of 
messengers  between  the  Wartburg  and  Wit- 
tenberg; whatever  precaution  was  exercised 
in  forwarding  the  letters,  it  was  hard  to  pre- 
vent the  spreading  of  rumor.  Luther  learned 
In  the  castle  what  was  going  on  in  the  great 
world  sooner  than  the  Wittenbergers;  he  re- 
ceived knowledge  of  all  the  news  of  his  uni- 
versity and  tried  to  strengthen  the  courage 
of  his  friends  and  direct  their  diplomacy. 
Pathetic  is  the  way  he  endeavors  to  encour- 
age Melanchthon,  who  was  grievously  caused 
to  feel  the  absence  of  his  strong  friend  by 
his  own  unpractical  way  and  manner. 
"Things  will  go  without  me,"  he  writes  to 
him.  "Just  have  courage,  you  do  not  need 
me  any  more  at  all;  if  I  get  out  and  can  no 
longer  come  back  to  Wittenberg,  I  shall  go 
into  the  world.  You  are  the  men  to  hold 
the  citadel  of  the  Lord  without  me  against 
the  devil."  His  letters  he  superscribed  from 
the  air,  from  Patmos,  from  the  desert, 
**among  the  birds  which  sing  lovely  from  the 
twigs  and  praise  God  with  all  their  might 
day  and  night."   Once  he  tried  to  be  cunning. 

133 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


He  enclosed  in  a  communication  to  Spal- 
atin  a  factitious  letter,  saying  that  one  be- 
lieved without  reason  that  he  was  at  the 
Wartburg;  that  he  was  living  among  loyal 
brethren;  that  it  was  surprising  that  no  one 
thought  of  Bohemia;  as  an  appendage  fol- 
lows an — innocent — thrust  at  Duke  George 
of  Saxony,  his  most  zealous  enemy.  This 
letter  Spalatin  is  to  lose  with  careful  inad- 
vertence in  such  a  way  that  it  may  fall  in 
the  hands  of  his  opponents.  But  in  such 
diplomacy  he  was,  to  be  sure,  not  consistent; 
for  as  soon  as  his  lionlike  nature  was  aroused 
by  some  report,  he  was  quickly  resolved  to 
depart  for  Erfurt  or  Wittenberg.  It  was 
hard  for  him  to  endure  the  leisure  of  his 
hiding  place.  The  captain  of  the  castle 
treated  him  with  the  greatest  attention;  and 
this  care  showed  itself,  as  was  customary 
then,  first  in  the  fact  that  the  faithful  man  did 
his  best  with  food  and  drink.  The  luxurious 
living,  the  lack  of  exercise,  the  fresh  mount- 
ain air  into  which  the  theologian  had  been 
removed,  had  their  effect  upon  his  body  and 
soul.  He  had  already  brought  a  bodily  ail- 
ment with  him  from  Worms,  to  this  were 
added  hours  of  gloomy  melancholy,  making 
him  unfit  even  for  work. 

Two  days  in  succession  he  went  hunting 

134 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


in  company  with  others.  But  his  heart  was 
with  the  few  rabbits  and  partridges  that  were 
driven  Into  the  net  by  the  crowd  of  men  and 
dogs.  "Innocent  little  animals!  In  this  way 
the  papists  do  their  setting-on."  To  keep  a 
little  hare  alive,  he  had  wrapped  it  in  the 
sleeves  of  his  coat;  then  the  dogs  came  and 
broke  the  limbs  of  the  animal  In  the  shelter- 
ing coat.  *'Thus  Satan  gnashes  his  teeth, 
too,  at  the  souls  that  I  am  trying  to  rescue." 
It  is  true  that  Luther  had  cause  to  defend 
himself  and  his  followers  against  Satan.  All 
the  authority  of  the  church  had  been  cast 
down  by  him;  now  he  stood  dreadfully  alone, 
the  last  thing  only  wac  left  him,  the  Script- 
ures. The  old  church  had  represented 
Christianity  in  a  continuous  development. 
A  living  tradition  which  ran  alongside  of 
the  Scriptures,  councils,  decrees  of  the  popes, 
had  kept  the  faith  in  constant  movement;  it 
had  adapted  Itself  like  a  gentle  stream  to  the 
sharp  edges  of  national  characters,  great  ex- 
igencies of  time.  It  is  true,  this  exalted  Idea 
of  an  eternally  living  organism  had  not  been 
preserved  in  Its  original  purity;  the  best  part 
of  Its  life  had  vanished,  empty  cocoons  were 
being  conserved,  the  old  democratic  church 
had  been  transformed  Into  an  Irresponsible 
reign  of  a  few,  stained  with  all  the  sins  of  a 

135 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


conscienceless  aristocracy,  already  in  glaring 
opposition  to  reason  and  public  feeling.  But 
what  Luther  could  put  in  its  place,  the  word 
of  the  Scriptures,  gave  freedom  from  a  chaos 
of  lifeless  malformations;  on  the  other  hand 
it  threatened  with  other  dangers.  What  was 
the  Bible?  Between  the  oldest  and  the 
most  recent  documents  of  the  Holy  Book  had 
elapsed,  perhaps,  two  milleniums.  Even  the 
New  Testament  had  not  been  written  by 
Jesus  Himself,  not  even  always  by  those  who 
had  heard  the  holy  doctrine  from  His  lips. 
It  had  been  collected  long  after  His  death. 
Separate  parts  of  it  could  have  been  inac- 
curately transmitted.  All  was  written  in  a 
foreign  language  that  was  hard  for  the  Ger- 
mans to  understand.  Even  the  greatest  in- 
tellect was  in  danger  of  interpreting  falsely 
if  God's  grace  would  not  enlighten  the  ex- 
pounder just  as  it  had  enlightened  the  apos- 
tles. The  old  church  had  made  short  work 
of  It;  in  it,  the  sacrament  of  the  priestly  of- 
fice gave  such  enlightenment;  yes,  the  holy 
father  laid  claim  even  to  divine  authority, 
to  desire  the  right  even  where  his  will  was 
in  contradiction  to  the  Scriptures.  The  re- 
former had  nothing  but  his  weak  human 
knowledge  and  his  prayer. 

In  the  first  place  it  was  inevitable  that  he 

136 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


had  to  make  use  of  his  reason,  even  over 
against  the  Holy  Scriptures;  a  certain  criti- 
cism was  also  necessary.  To  Luther,  it  was 
no  secret  either  that  the  books  of  the  New 
Testament  were  of  different  value;  it  is 
known  that  he  had,  for  a  long  time,  not  cared 
much  for  the  Revelation  of  John,  and  that 
he  considered  the  Epistle  of  James  a  ^'dull" 
epistle.  But  his  objection  to  details  never 
made  him  grow  doubtful  of  the  whole.  Un- 
shakable was  his  belief  that  the  Holy  Script- 
ures, few  books  excepted,  contained  divine 
revelation  even  to  word  and  letters.  They 
were  to  him  the  dearest  treasure  on  earth, 
the  basis  of  his  whole  knowledge;  he  had 
felt  his  way  so  deeply  into  it  that  he  lived 
among  its  characters  as  In  the  present.  The 
more  threatening  the  feeling  of  his  responsi- 
bility, the  more  ardent  the  fervor  with  which 
he  clung  to  the  Scriptures.  And  a  strong  in- 
stinct for  the  reasonable  and  expedient 
helped  him  in  reality  over  many  dangers;  his 
acuteness  of  Intellect  had  none  of  the  hair- 
splitting sophistry  of  the  ancient  teachers; 
he  despised  unnecessary  subtlltles,  and  with 
wonderful  tact  gladly  left  undecided  what  ap- 
peared to  him  unessential.  But  if  he  did  not 
want  to  become  godless  or  insane,  there  was, 
after  all,  nothing  else  for  him  to  do  but  to 

137 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


base  the  new  doctrine  upon  the  words  and 
cultural  conditions  which  had  been  alive  fif- 
teen hundred  years  before  him.  And  he  fell, 
after  all,  in  various  cases,  a  prey  to  that 
which  his  opponent,  Eck,  called  the  black  let- 
ter. 

Under  such  constraint  his  method  was 
formed.  When  he  had  a  problem  to  solve, 
he  collected  all  the  passages  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures  which  seemed  in  his  mind  to  con- 
tain an  answer;  each  passage  he  examined 
and  tried  to  understand  in  its  connection, 
then  he  summed  them  all  up.  The  points  in 
which  they  agreed  he  placed  first;  for  those 
in  which  they  differed  from  one  another,  he 
strove,  with  resignation,  to  find  a  solution 
which  would  also  combine  the  parts  that  were 
contradictory.  The  result  he  fixed  in  his 
heart  amid  temptations,  fervent  prayers.  In 
the  case  of  such  procedure  he  was  bound  at 
times  to  come  to  results  that  were  assailable 
even  to  ordinary  human  intelligence.  As  he, 
for  instance,  undertook  in  the  year  1522  to 
place  marriage  from  the  Holy  Scriptures 
upon  new  moral  bases,  reason  and  the  need 
of  the  people  were,  to  be  sure,  on  his  side 
when  he  subjected  the  eighteen  reasons  of  the 
ecclesiastic  law  to  prevent  and  to  dissolve 
marriage    to    a    sharp    criticism,    and    con- 

138 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


demned  the  unworthy  favoring  of  the  rich 
over  the  poor.  But  it  was,  nevertheless, 
strange  when  Luther  wished  to  prove  from 
the  Bible  alone,  which  grades  of  relationship 
were  allowed  and  forbidden,  especially  as  he 
also  made  use  of  the  Old  Testament,  in  which 
sev^eral  strange  marriages  were  consum- 
mated without  opposition  on  the  part  of 
Jehovah.  Indubitably  God  had  a  few  times 
allowed  His  chosen  ones  to  hav^e  two  wives. 

And  it  was  this  same  method  that  made 
him  so  stubborn  in  the  year  1529,  during  his 
negotiations  with  the  Calvinists,  at  the  time 
when  he  wrote,  "This  is  my  body"  before 
him  on  the  table,  and  gloomily  looked  across 
the  table  upon  Zwingli's  tears  and  out- 
stretched hand.  Never  had  he  been  nar- 
rower, and  yet  never  more  powerful,  the 
fearful  man  who  had  wrenched  his  convic- 
tion from  doubt  and  the  devil  amid  the 
most  violent  inner  struggle.  It  was  an  im- 
perfect method,  and  his  opponents  directed 
their  attacks,  not  without  success,  upon 
it.  With  it  his  doctrine  fell  a  prey  to  the 
fate  of  all  human  wisdom.  But  in  this 
method  there  was,  too,  a  strong,  kindly- 
disposed  process,  thru  which  his  own  intel- 
ligence, culture,  and  heart's  desire  had  much 
more    influence    upon    his    epoch    than    he 

139 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


himself  suspected.  And  it  became  the  start- 
ing point  from  which  a  conscientious  re- 
search has  raised  the  German  nation  to  the 
highest  spiritual  freedom. 

In  addition  to  such  a  grand  trial  there 
came  to  the  ejected  monk  on  the  Wartburg 
also  smaller  temptations;  he  had  long  since 
overcome  by  almost  superhuman  mental  ac- 
tivity that  which  was  regarded  with  great  dis- 
trust as  sensual  Impulse ;  now  his  nature  was 
powerfully  aroused,  and  on  that  account  he 
often  asked  his  Melanchthon  to  pray  for 
him. 

Then  it  was  the  will  of  fate  that  Karl- 
stadt's  restless  mind  should  fall  in  Wittenberg 
on  the  subject  of  the  marriage  of  priests,  and 
come  to  the  conclusion,  In  a  pamphlet  on 
celibacy,  that  priests  and  monks  were  not 
bound  by  the  vow  of  single  life.  The  Wlt- 
tenbergers  were  In  general  agreed,  above  all 
Melanchthon,  who  stood  most  Impartially 
face  to  face  to  this  question.  He  himself 
had  never  received  the  consecration  and  had 
already  been  married  two  years. 

Thus  a  coil  of  thoughts  and  moral  prob- 
lems was  just  now  cast  into  Luther's  soul,  the 
threads  of  which  were  destined  to  spin  a  web 
about  his  entire  after-life.  That  which  was 
henceforth  granted  him  of  earthly,  heartfelt 

140 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


joy  and  earthly  happiness,  rested  upon  the 
answer  which  he  found  to  this  question.  That 
which  made  it  possible  for  him  to  endure 
the  later  years  was  the  happiness  of  his  fam- 
ily, only  from  there  was  the  flower  of  his 
rich  heart  to  unfold.  So  graciously  did  fate 
send  to  the  lonely  one  just  now  the  message 
which  was  to  bind  him  anew  and  more  firmly 
to  his  people.  And  characteristic  again  is 
the  way  in  which  Luther  treats  this  problem. 
His  pious  soul  and  the  conservative  trend  in 
his  character  rebelled  against  the  hasty  and 
unthoro  manner  in  which  Karlstadt  reasoned. 
One  may  assume  that  many  a  thing  that  he 
himself  was  just  feeling,  made  him  distrust- 
ful as  to  whether  the  devil  was  not  making 
use  of  this  critical  question  for  the  sake  of 
tempting  the  children  of  God.  And  yet  he 
now  felt  so  sorry  In  his  confinement  for  the 
poor  monks  In  the  constraint  of  the  cloister. 
He  searched  in  the  Scriptures;  he  easily  set- 
tled the  question  of  the  marriage  of  priests. 
But  about  the  monks  there  was  nothing  in 
the  Bible.  "The  Scriptures  are  silent,  man 
is  uncertain."  And  at  the  same  time  it  seemed 
to  him  a  ridiculous  Idea  that  also  his  nearest 
friends  could  marry;  and  he  writes  to  the 
cautious  Spalatin:  "Goodness,  our  Wltten- 
bergers  want  to  give  the  monks  wives,  too  I 

141 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


Well,  they  shall  not  hang  one  unto  me/'  And 
Ironically  he  warns,  "Just  be  careful  that  you 
don't  marry,  too !"  But  the  problem  busied 
him  unceasingly;  man  lives  rapidly  during 
such  great  times.  By  and  by,  thru  Melanch- 
thon's  arguments,  and,  we  may  assume,  after 
ardent  prayer,  he  came  to  certainty.  What 
turned  the  scale,  unknown  to  him,  was, 
doubtless,  the  realization  that  It  had  become 
reasonable  and  necessary  for  a  more  moral 
foundation  of  civil  life,  to  open  the  monaste- 
ries. He  had  struggled  almost  three  months 
with  the  question;  on  the  1st  of  November, 
1521,  he  wrote  the  above  mentioned  letter  to 
his  father. 

Immeasurable  was  the  effect  of  his  words 
upon  the  people ;  everywhere  there  was  a  stir 
in  the  cloisters,  out  of  almost  all  cloister 
gates  monks  and  nuns  slipped;  at  first  one  by 
one,  in  secret  flight,  soon  entire  convents 
were  broken  up.  As  Luther  returned  to 
Wittenberg  in  the  following  spring  with 
greater  anxiety  in  his  heart,  the  nuns  and 
monks  who  had  run  away  from  the  cloisters 
caused  him  much  trouble.  Secret  letters  were 
despatched  to  him  from  all  quarters,  often 
by  excited  nuns  who  had  been  thrust  as  chil- 
dren into  the  cloisters  by  hard-hearted  par- 
ents, and  were  now,  penniless  and  without 

142 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


protection,  seeking  help  of  the  great  re- 
former. It  was  not  unnatural  that  they 
forced  their  way  to  Wittenberg.  Nine  nuns 
from  the  aristocratic  convent  of  NImpschen 
came  riding  up,  among  them  a  Staupltz,  two 
Zeschaus,  Catherine  von  Bora;  then  again 
sixteen  nuns  were  to  be  provided  for,  and 
so  on.  He  pitied  the  poor  people  very  much; 
he  wrote  for  their  sake,  made  efforts  to  find 
shelter  for  them  with  respectable  families. 
At  times,  to  be  sure,  he  felt  that  there  was 
too  much  of  the  good  thing;  especially  did 
the  crowds  of  monks  who  had  run  away 
molest  him.  He  laments:  "They  want  to 
marry  right  away  and  are  the  most  awkward 
people  for  any  task."  He  caused  great  of- 
fence thru  his  bold  solution  of  a  difficult 
question;  he  himself  had  grievous  feelings, 
for  among  those  who  now  returned  In  the 
tumult  to  the  civil  society,  there  were,  to  be 
sure,  high-minded  men,  but  also  coarse  and 
bad  ones.  But  all  that  did  not  make  him 
doubtful  for  one  moment;  he  became,  as  was 
his  manner,  only  more  resolute  thru  the  op- 
position. As  he  published  the  history  of  the 
sufferings  of  a  young  nun,  Florentlna  of 
Oberwelmar,  In  1524,  he  repeated  In  the  ded- 
ication what  he  had  already  preached  so 
often:    "God  has  often  borne  witness  in  the 

143 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


Scriptures  to  the  fact  that  He  does  not  want 
any  forced  service,  and  no  one  shall  become 
His  unless  he  do  so  with  pleasure  and  love. 
Help,  God !  Are  we  not  to  be  reasoned  with? 
Have  we  no  sense  and  ears?  I  say  It  again, 
God  wishes  no  forced  service;  I  '11  say  It  the 
third  time,  I  '11  say  It  a  hundred  thousand 
times,  God  wishes  no  forced  service." 

Thus  Luther  entered  the  last  period  of  his 
life.  His  disappearance  in  the  Thurlnglan 
Forest  had  produced  great  excitement.  His 
opponents  trembled  at  the  wrath  that  arose 
In  town  and  country  against  those  who  were 
called  murderers.  But  the  Interruption  in  his 
public  activity  turned  out,  nevertheless,  crit- 
ical for  him.  As  long  as  he  was  the  center 
of  the  conflict  at  Wittenberg,  his  word,  his 
pen,  had  masterfully  controlled  the  great 
movement  of  the  minds  in  the  south  and  the 
north;  now  It  was  at  work  arbitrarily.  In 
various  directions.  In  many  heads.  One  of 
Luther's  oldest  associates  began  the  confu- 
sion, Wittenberg  Itself  became  the  scene  of 
an  adventurous  movement.  Then  Luther 
could  stand  It  no  longer  on  the  Wartburg. 
He  had  already  made  a  secret  journey  to 
Wittenberg;  now  he  returned  thither  openly, 
contrary  to  the  wish  of  the  elector.  And 
now  he  began  an  heroic  struggle  against  old 

144 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


friends  and  against  the  conclusions  that  were 
drawn  from  his  own  teaching.  Superhuman 
was  his  activity.  He  thundered  without  ceas- 
ing from  the  pulpit,  in  his  cell  his  pen  flew. 
But  he  was  not  able  to  bring  back  every 
mind  that  had  revolted;  even  he  could  not 
prevent  the  rabble  of  the  towns  from  burst- 
ing out  In  wild  disorder  against  institutions 
of  the  old  church  and  against  hated  persons; 
the  excitement  of  the  people,  from  gather- 
ing, too,  political  storms;  the  knight,  from 
rebelling  against  the  prince,  the  peasant 
against  the  knight.  And,  what  was  more, 
he  could  not  hinder  the  spiritual  freedom 
which  he  had  gained  for  the  Germans  from 
producing  in  the  minds  of  pious  and  learned 
men  an  Independent  judgment  concerning 
faith  and  life,  a  judgment  that  was  con- 
tradictory to  his  convictions,  too.  There 
came  the  dark  years  of  the  Iconoclastic 
movement,  of  the  Anabaptists,  of  the 
Peasants*  War,  of  the  unpleasant  conflict 
over  the  sacraments.  How  often  the  fig- 
ure of  Luther  arose  during  this  time  in 
gloomy  and  powerful  manner  over  the 
wranglers,  how  often  the  perversities  of  men 
and  his  own  secret  doubt  filled  him  with  anx- 
ious care  in  regard  to  the  future  of  Ger- 
many! 

145 


DOCTOR  LUTKER 


For  during  a  savage  epoch,  which  was  ac- 
customed to  kill  with  fire  and  the  sword,  this 
German  conceived  the  spiritual  battles  as 
high  and  pure  as  no  second  man  did.  Every 
use  of  earthly  power  he  considered  during 
the  time  of  his  own  highest  danger  as  mor- 
tally hateful;  he  himself  did  not  wish  to  be 
guarded  by  the  ruler  of  his  province ;  yes,  he 
wanted  no  human  protection  for  his  doctrine. 
He  fought  with  sharp  quill  against  his  ene- 
mies, but  the  only  funeral  pile  which  he  en- 
kindled was  against  a  paper;  he  hated  the 
pope  as  the  devil,  but  he  always  preached 
peaceableness  and  Christian  forbearance  to- 
ward the  Catholics;  he  suspected  many  a 
one's  standing  in  secret  alliance  with  the 
devil,  he  never  burned  a  witch.  In  every 
Catholic  country  the  stakes  were  burning 
over  confessors  of  the  new  faith;  even  Hut- 
ten  was  strongly  suspected  of  having  cut  off 
the  ears  of  some  monks;  Luther  had  heart- 
felt sympathy  with  the  humiliated  Tetzel,  and 
wrote  him  a  letter  of  comfort.  So  humane 
was  his  feeling.  To  be  obedient  to  the  author- 
ity which  God  has  established  was  his  high- 
est political  principle ;  only  when  the  service 
of  his  God  commanded,  did  his  opposition 
flame  up.  At  his  departure  from  Worms  he 
had  been  commanded  not  to  preach,  he  who 

146 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


was  to  be  declared  just  then  an  outlaw;  he 
did  not  let  them  prevent  him  from  preaching, 
but  the  honorable  man  was,  nevertheless, 
worried  lest  one  might  construe  that  as  diso- 
bedience. His  conception  of  the  coherence 
of  the  empire  was  still  quite  ancient  and  quite 
popular.  As  the  subject  to  the  magistrates, 
so  did  the  rulers  of  the  provinces  and  the 
electors  have  to  be  obedient,  according  to  Im- 
perial law,  to  the  emperor. 

In  the  person  of  Charles  V  he  took  a 
human  interest  all  his  life,  not  only  during 
that  first  period  when  he  greeted  him  as  the 
*'dear  young  man;"  but  also  still  later  In  life, 
when  he  well  knew  that  the  Spanish  Burgun- 
dlan  was  granting  the  German  Reformation 
forbearance  at  best  only  for  diplomatic  rea- 
sons. "He  is  pious  and  quiet,"  he  said  of 
him.  "He  does  not  speak  as  much  in  one 
year  as  I  In  a  day,  he  is  a  child  of  fortune;" 
he  liked  to  praise  the  emperor's  moderation, 
modesty,  and  patience.  When  he  had  already 
long  since  condemned  the  emperor's  diplo- 
macy and  In  secret  mistrusted  his  character, 
he  insisted  that  the  ruler  of  Germany  should 
be  spoken  of  with  reverence  among  his 
guests,  and  said  apologetically  to  the  younger 
ones :  "A  politician  cannot  be  so  frank  as  we 
ecclesiastics."    Even  in  1530  his  opinion  was 

147 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


that  it  was  wrong  for  his  elector  to  offer  re- 
sistance to  his  emperor  by  the  use  of  arms; 
not  until  1537  did  he  reluctantly  yield  to  the 
more  liberal  view  of  his  associates — but  he 
maintained  that  the  endangered  prince  could 
not  attack  first.  So  vivid  was  still  in  the  man 
who  had  come  from  the  people,  the  ven- 
erable tradition  of  a  firm,  well-organized, 
federated  state,  at  a  time  when  the  proud 
structure  of  those  old  Saxon  and  Prankish 
emperors  was  already  so  badly  broken  to 
pieces.  But  In  such  loyalty  there  was  no  trace 
of  a  slavish  mind;  when  the  ruler  of  his 
province  appointed  him  at  one  time  to  write 
a  letter  that  could  be  made  public,  his  feel- 
ing of  truth  struggled  against  the  title, 
"Most  gracious  lord;"  for  the  emperor,  he 
thought,  was  not  graciously  minded  toward 
him.  And  In  his  repeated  dealings  with  aris- 
tocrats, he  showed  an  Inconsiderate  frankness 
that  became  more  than  once  a  cause  of  fear 
to  the  courtiers.  To  the  governor  of  his 
province  he  told  truths  with  all  submission, 
the  like  of  which  only  a  great  personage  may 
express,  to  which  only  a  good-hearted  man  is 
able  to  listen.  On  the  whole,  he  cared  little 
for  the  German  princes,  however  much  he  re- 
spected individual  ones.  Frequent  and  just 
are  his  complaints  over  their  Incapability,  dis- 

148 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


soluteness,  their  sins.  The  nobility,  too,  he 
liked  to  consider  with  irony;  the  coarseness 
of  the  majority  displeased  him  greatly.  And 
he  felt  a  democratic  dislike  for  the  hard  and 
selfish  jurists  who  attended  to  the  business 
affairs  of  the  princes,  strove  for  favors,  tor- 
tured the  poor  people;  to  the  best  among 
them  he  conceded  only  a  very  doubtful  pros- 
pect of  the  grace  of  God.  On  the  contrary, 
his  whole  heart  was  with  the  oppressed;  he 
criticised  at  times  the  peasants,  their  stub- 
bornness, their  usurious  trade  in  grain;  but 
he  often  praised,  too,  their  class,  looked  with 
heartfelt  sympathy  upon  their  burdens,  and, 
doubtless,  remembered  that  he  belonged  to 
them  by  birth. 

But  all  that  belonged  to  the  secular  power, 
he  was  serving  the  ecclesiastic.  The  popular 
conception  was  firmly  seated  in  his  soul,  too, 
that  two  reigning  powers  had  to  rule  the 
German  nation  side  by  side — the  power  of 
the  church  and  the  power  of  the  princes.  And 
he  was  well  justified  in  proudly  placing  his 
realm  of  duties  and  rights  over  against  secu- 
lar politics.  In  his  spiritual  realm  there  was  a 
common  spirit,  a  sense  of  sacrifice,  an  abund- 
ance of  ideal  life;  in  the  worldly  government 
he  found  everywhere  narrow-minded  selfish- 
ness, robbery,  deception,  and  weakness.    An- 

149 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


grily  he  strove  to  bring  it  about  that  the  mag- 
istrates might  not  presume  to  dispose  of  that 
which  belonged  to  the  minister  and  the  auton- 
omy of  his  congregation.  From  the  interest 
of  his  faith,  according  to  the  law  of  his  Bible, 
he  judged  all  politics.  Where  the  word  of 
the  Scriptures  seemed  to  him  endangered  by 
worldly  politics,  he  raised  his  voice,  indiffer- 
ent as  to  whom  it  struck.  He  was  not  to 
blame  that  he  was  strong  and  the  princes 
weak;  and  he,  the  monk,  the  professor,  the 
curate,  must  not  be  censured  if  the  league  of 
the  Protestant  princes  stood  like  a  herd  of 
stags  over  against  the  emperor's  cunning 
diplomacy.  He  himself  was  well  aware  that 
Italian  politics  was  not  his  affair;  if  the  active 
Landgrave  of  Hesse  did  not  follow  the  eccle- 
siastic council  sometimes,  Luther  admired 
him  in  secret  all  the  more  for  it.  "He  has  a 
head  of  his  own,  he  is  successful,  he  has  a 
head  for  worldly  things." 

Now,  since  Luther's  return  to  Wittenberg, 
a  democratic  stream  flow^ed  high  among  the 
people.  Luther  had  opened  the  monasteries, 
now  a  remedy  for  many  other  social  abuses 
was  asked  for:  the  distress  of  the  peasants, 
the  ecclesiastic  taxes,  the  corruption  in  the 
disposal  of  church  livings,  the  poor  adminis- 
tration of  justice.     Luther's  upright  heart 

150 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


sympathized  with  this  movement.  He  ad- 
monished and  censured  the  lords  of  the  soil 
and  the  princes.  But  as  the  wild  waves  of 
the  Peasants'  War  also  poured  themselves 
over  the  fields  which  he  had  sown,  as  bloody 
deeds  of  violence  offended  his  heart,  and  he 
felt  that  the  fanatics  and  ringleaders  were 
exercising  a  sway  over  the  crowds  of  peas- 
ants that  threatened  annihilation  unto  his 
doctrines,  too,  he  threw  himself  in  the 
greatest  wrath  against  the  coarse  masses. 
Furious  and  warlike  did  his  call  to  the  princes 
sound;  In  his  mind,  the  most  dreadful  thing 
had  been  committed,  the  gospel  of  love  had 
been  violated  by  the  bold  arbitrariness  of 
such  as  called  themselves  its  confessors.  His 
policy  was  on  this  point,  too,  the  right  one; 
there  was  In  Germany,  unfortunately,  no 
better  power  than  that  of  the  princes;  upon 
them  rested,  In  spite  of  all,  the  future  of  the 
fatherland;  neither  the  unfree  peasants  nor 
the  robberlike  noblemen  nor  the  scattered 
Imperial  cities  which  stood  like  Islands  In  the 
swelling  surge,  gave  any  guarantee.  He  was 
quite  right  In  the  matter,  but  the  same  stub- 
born, unyielding  manner  which  had  made 
his  struggles  against  the  hierarchy  so  popular 
until  then,  was  turned  now  against  the  peo- 
ple themselves.    A  cry  of  horror  and  disgust 

151 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


went  thru  the  masses.  He  was  a  traitor.  He 
who  had  been  the  hero  and  favorite  of  the 
people  for  eight  years,  became  all  at  once  the 
most  unpopular  man.  Again  his  life  and 
safety  were  threatened;  even  five  years  after- 
wards it  was  dangerous  for  him,  on  account 
of  the  peasants,  to  journey  to  Mansfeld  to  his 
sick  father.  The  anger  of  the  masses  worked 
also  against  his  doctrine,  the  hedge-preach- 
ers and  new  apostles  treated  him  as  a  lost, 
corrupted  man. 

He  was  excommunicated,  he  was  outlawed 
and  cursed  by  the  people.  Also  many  well- 
meaning  men  had  not  approved  of  his  attack 
upon  celibacy  and  the  monastic  life.  The 
country  noblemen  threatened  to  seize  the  out- 
law on  the  highway  because  he  had  destroyed 
the  nun  cloisters,  into  which,  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  into  foundling  hospitals,  the  legitimate 
daughters  of  the  poor  nobility  were  cast,  even 
in  early  childhood.  The  Roman  party  was 
triumphant,  the  new  heresy  had  been  de- 
prived of  that  which  had  until  then  made  It 
powerful.  Luther's  life  and  his  doctrine 
seemed  close  to  destruction. 

Then  Luther  decided  to  marry.  For  two 
years  Kathe  von  Bora  had  lived  at  Witten- 
berg in  the  home  of  Relchenbach,  the  town 
clerk  and  subsequent  mayor,  a  robust,  stately 

152 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


girl,  she,  too,  the  deserted  daughter  of  a 
family  of  the  country  nobility  of  Meissen. 
Twice  Luther  had  endeavored  to  procure  a 
husband  for  her,  as  he  in  his  fatherly  care 
had  already  done  for  several  of  her  com- 
panions; at  last  Catherine  declared  that  she 
would  wed  no  man  unless  it  be  Luther  him- 
self or  his  friend  Amsdorf.  Luther  was  sur- 
prised, but  he  soon  made  up  his  mind.  Ac- 
companied by  Lucas  Cranach,  he  asked  for 
her  hand  and  had  himself  wedded  to  her 
straightway.  Then  he  invited  his  friends  to 
the  wedding  feast,  applied  to  the  court  for 
the  roast  venison  which  the  governor  of  the 
district  was  accustomed  to  present  to  his  pro- 
fessors in  case  of  marriages,  and  received 
the  table  wine  as  a  wedding  present  from  the 
town  of  Wittenberg.  How  things  looked  in 
Luther's  soul  at  that  time  we  should  like  to 
know.  His  whole  being  was  at  its  highest 
tension,  the  wild  native  force  of  his  make-up 
struck  out  In  all  directions;  he  was  deeply 
moved  at  the  misfortune  that  arose  round 
about  him  from  burned  villages  and  slain 
men.  If  he  had  been  a  fanatic  In  his  ideas,  he 
would  probably  have  now  ended  in  despair. 
But  over  the  stormy  unrest  which  was  notice- 
able in  him  until  his  marriage,  there  shone 
for  him  just  now,  like  a  pure  light,  the  con- 

153 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


viction  that  he  was  the  guardian  of  divine 
right  among  the  Germans;  and  that  he,  for 
the  purpose  of  protecting  civil  order  and 
morality,  had  to  direct  the  opinion  of  men, 
but  not  to  follow  it.  With  whatever  violent 
zeal  he  acts  in  particular  cases,  he  seems 
just  now  especially  conservative,  more  self- 
reliant  and  independent  than  ever.  Besides 
he  was,  to  be  sure,  of  the  opinion  that  he  was 
destined  not  to  live  much  longer,  and  fre- 
quently he  waited  with  longing  for  martyr- 
dom. Thus  he  concluded  his  marriage,  too, 
in  perfect  harmony  with  himself.  He  had 
brought  himself  fully  to  realize  that  mar- 
riage was  a  necessity  and  in  conformity  with 
the  Scriptures ;  in  recent  years  he  had  urged 
all  his  acquaintances  to  marry,  at  last  even 
an  old  opponent,  the  Archbishop  of  Mainz. 
He  himself  gives  two  reasons  that  brought 
him  to  a  decision.  He  had  robbed  his  father 
of  his  son  for  many  long  years;  it  seemed 
to  him  like  an  atonement  to  leave  old  Hans 
a  grandson  if  he  should  die  himself.  There 
•was,  too,  some  defiance  connected  with 
it;  his  opponents  were  exulting  that  Luther 
had  been  humiliated;  everybody  now  took 
offence  at  him;  he  wanted  to  give  them  still 
more  cause  for  offence  in  his  good  cause. 
He  had  a  strong  constitution,  but  there 

154 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


was  no  trace  of  coarse  sensuality  in  him.  And 
we  may  assume  that  the  best  reason,  which 
he  confesses  to  no  friend,  was  In  the  end, 
after  all,  the  deciding  one.  For  a  long  time 
the  gossip  of  the  people  had  known  more 
than  he,  now  he  knew,  too,  that  Catherine 
was  favorably  disposed  toward  him.  "I  am 
not  in  love  and  not  led  by  passion,  but  I  am 
fond  of  her,"  he  writes  to  one  of  his  dearest 
friends.  And  this  marriage,  consummated 
contrary  to  the  opinion  of  his  contempora- 
ries amid  the  cries  of  derision  on  the  part  of 
his  opponents,  became  a  bond  to  which  we 
Germans  owe  just  as  much  as  to  the  years 
during  which  he,  an  ecclesiastic  of  the  old 
church,  had  borne  arms  for  his  theology. 
For  from  the  present  the  husband,  the  father, 
the  citizen,  became  also  a  reformer  of  the 
domestic  life  of  his  nation ;  and  the  very  bless- 
ing of  his  days  on  earth,  in  which  Protestants 
and  Catholics  are  on  even  terms  with  each 
other,  springs  from  the  marriage  between  an 
ejected  monk  and  a  nun  who  had  fled  from 
her  convent. 

For  twenty-one  more  toilsome  years  was 
he  to  work  as  the  moulder  of  his  nation.  Now 
his  greatest  work,  the  translation  of  the 
Bible, was  finished;  and  over  this  work, which 
he  brought  to  a  conclusion  In  conjunction  with 

155 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


his  friends  at  Wittenberg,  he  acquired  com- 
plete mastery  over  the  language  of  the  peo- 
ple, a  prose  which  learned  first  thru  this 
work  how  to  use  Its  wealth  and  its  power. 
We  know  In  what  great  sense  he  undertook 
the  task,  he  wished  to  produce  a  book  for  the 
people;  with  diligence  he  studied  for  the 
purpose  mode  of  speaking,  proverbs,  and 
technical  expressions  that  lived  on  the  lips  of 
the  people.  The  humanists  had  often  writ- 
ten an  awkward.  Involved  German,  with  un- 
wieldy sentences,  in  homely  remembrance  of 
the  Latin  style.  Now  the  nation  received 
for  its  daily  reading  a  work  which  expressed 
the  deepest  wisdom  and  the  best  spiritual 
possession  of  the  time,  with  simple  words  In 
short  sentences.  With  Luther's  remaining 
works  the  German  Bible  became  the  basis 
of  the  new  German  language.  And  this 
language.  In  which  our  whole  literature  and 
our  intellectual  life  has  found  expression,  has 
become  an  Indestructible  possession  which, 
tho  distorted  and  disfigured,  has  reminded 
the  separate  German  races,  during  the  hard- 
est days,  that  they  belong  together.  Every 
Individual  with  us  still  grows  up  out  of  the 
dialect  of  his  home,  even  to-day  the  language 
of  culture,  poetry,  and  science,  of  which 
Luther  created  more  than  anyone  else,  is  the 

156 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


bond  that  joins  all  German  souls  into  unity. 

And  not  less  was  that  which  the  same  man 
did  for  the  civil  life  of  the  Germans.  Family 
devotion,  marriage,  and  the  education  of  chil- 
dren, life  of  the  community  and  school-sys- 
tem, custom,  amusement,  all  heartfelt  emo- 
tions, all  social  joy  were  consecrated  by  him 
thru  his  teaching  and  writing;  everywhere  he 
endeavored  to  set  new  milestones,  to  dig 
deeper  foundations.  There  was  no  realm  of 
human  duty  concerning  which  he  did  not 
force  his  Germans  to  reflect.  By  means  of 
his  numerous  sermons  and  small  pamphlets 
he  exerted  an  influence  upon  the  public  in 
general;  by  means  of  innumerable  letters  in 
which  he  gave  advice  and  counsel  to  those 
asking,  upon  the  individuals.  When  he  urged 
his  contemporaries  without  ceasing  to  exam- 
ine for  themselves  whether  a  heart's  desire 
was  just  or  not,  what  the  father  was  under 
obligations  to  concede  to  his  child,  the  sub- 
ject to  persons  in  authority,  the  alderman  to 
his  community.  The  progress  which  was 
made  thru  him  was  so  significant  from  the 
fact  that  he  made  the  conscience  of  the  indi- 
vidual free  here,  too,  and  substituted  self- 
control  everywhere  for  outer  compulsion, 
against  which  selfishness  had  defiantly  re- 
volted until  then.     How  beautifully  he  com- 

157 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


prehends  the  necessity  of  educating  the  chil- 
dren thru  school  Instruction,  especially  In 
ancient  languages ;  with  what  warmth  he  com- 
mends his  beloved  music  to  be  Introduced  in 
the  schools ;  how  large  his  look  becomes  when 
he  advises  the  aldermen  to  establish  also  city 
libraries.  And,  again,  how  conscientiously 
he  endeavored  to  assure  the  hearts  of  the 
lovers  a  right,  in  case  of  betrothal  and  wed- 
lock, over  against  the  hard  parental  author- 
ity. It  is  true  that  his  field  of  vision  is 
bounded  by  the  words  of  the  Scriptures;  but 
everywhere  there  resounds  thru  his  preach- 
ing, urging,  and  censuring  the  beautiful  fun- 
damental tone  of  his  German  character,  the 
need  of  freedom  and  discipline,  of  love  and 
morality.  The  old  sacrament  of  marriage 
he  had  rejected;  but  higher,  nobler,  freer  did 
he  shape  the  inner  relation  between  husband 
and  wife.  The  unwieldy  monastic  schools  he 
had  attacked;  everywhere  in  town  and  vil- 
lage, as  far  as  his  influence  reached,  better 
centers  of  culture  for  the  young  began  to 
blossom.  The  mass  and  Latin  church  songs 
had  been  abolished  by  him;  in  return  for 
them  he  gave  to  persons  revering  him  as  well 
as  to  his  opponents  the  regular  sermon  and 
the  German  hymn. 

The    great    significance    which    Luther's 

158 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


teaching  had  acquired,  not  only  in  the  souls 
of  the  Germans,  but  also  in  the  political 
relations  of  the  empire,  is  already  recogniz- 
able in  the  life  of  Luther  nine  years  after 
the  days  of  Worms.  At  Worms  he  was  in 
the  minds  of  his  enemies  an  isolated,  notori- 
ous heretic,  whose  death  could  remove  the 
dangerous  false  doctrine.  In  the  year  1530, 
however,  the  princes  and  estates  who  had  ab- 
solved themselves  from  the  old  church, 
handed  the  emperor  at  the  Imperial  Diet  at 
Augsburg  a  confession  of  their  faith,  and 
this  confession  became  the  basis  of  an  assured 
political  position  for  Protestantism.  It  was, 
in  spite  of  all  the  clauses  which  were  still 
clinging  to  it.  In  truth,  the  first  treaty  of  peace 
that  the  victorious  new  doctrine  concluded 
with  the  Holy  Roman  Empire.  It  was  now 
a  strange  dispensation  that  the  honorable 
Luther,  again  in  concealment  and  in  the  at- 
tire and  with  the  beard  of  a  knightly  person, 
was  compelled  to  wait  for  the  outcome  upon 
another  firm  seat  of  his  elector,  upon  the 
citadel  of  Coburg,  just  as  at  one  time  upon 
the  Wartburg.  And  again  he  dated  his  letters 
in  mysterious  manner  from  solitude  and  from 
the  realm  of  the  birds,  and  admonished 
Melanchthon  to  courageous  perseverance. 
For  while   his   friends   and    fellow-workers 

159 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


were  busied  at  Augsburg  with  the  great  con- 
fession document,  he,  who  was  still  under  the 
ban  of  the  empire,  was  not  to  be  led  into 
the  territory  of  Catholic  rulers  and  be- 
fore the  eyes  of  the  emperor  who  had 
put  him  under  the  ban.  But  this  outlawry 
of  1521,  how  meaningless  it  had  become! 
A  few  months  after  it  had  been  declared, 
the  increasing  excitement  among  the  peo- 
ple, and  the  unbounded  zeal  of  others 
who  were  dissatisfied,  had  forced  Luther's 
enemies  to  the  confession  that  it  would  be 
the  greatest  bit  of  fortune  if  the  vanished 
Luther  were  still  alive.  Since  then  he  had 
arisen,  just  as  vehemently  as  against  the 
pope,  against  the  socialist  activity  among 
the  people;  and  he  had  done  so  much 
for  discipline  and  order  among  the  people 
thru  the  charm  of  his  strong  nature  and  with 
the  fullness  of  his  German  heart,  that  even 
some  of  his  opponents  felt  some  of  the  bless- 
ing. But,  of  course,  alongside  of  great  suc- 
cess he  had  experienced,  too,  great  restric- 
tion in  his  activity.  At  Worms  he  had  been 
the  only  one,  in  truth,  the  champion  of  the 
German  conscience  and  the  spiritual  guide  of 
the  whole  strong  movement  which  was  ris- 
ing among  the  German  people;  in  the  year 
1530,  he  was  chief  and  leader  of  a  great 

160 


Katharina   von   Bora 
Wife  of  Luther 

From   a    Painting 
l)v   T.ucas   Cranach 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


party,  of  one  party  only,  alongside  of  which 
other  tendencies  and  parties  were  coming  up. 
The  fear  of  public  opinion  had  become 
greater  also  In  the  old  church,  the  faith  more 
fervent  and  heartfelt.  Alongside  of  Luther's, 
Zwlngll's  doctrine  had  also  spread  In  Ger- 
many; and  down  among  the  people  the  social- 
istic doctrine  of  the  Anabaptists  was  hostllely 
working  against  him,  as  against  the  system 
of  the  old  church.  He,  too,  was  a  different 
man,  no  longer  the  martyr  rejoicing  In  death, 
but  the  cautious  adviser  of  his  princes  and  a 
zealous,  stern  builder  on  his  new  church. 
And  he  who  had  struggled  on  the  Wartburg 
in  qualms  of  conscience  on  account  of  the 
celibacy  of  monks,  was  now  writing  with 
good  humor,  besides  interpretations  of  Bibli- 
cal writings,  heartfelt  letters  to  his  own 
home,  to  his  table  companions,  and  to  his 
little  son,  about  the  Imperial  Diet  of  the 
jackdaws  which  were  blustering  about  the 
towers  of  the  citadel  of  Coburg,  and  about 
a  beautiful  heavenly  garden  In  which  pious 
children  run  and  sing,  ride  upon  little  horses 
with  golden  bridles,  and  shoot  with  cross- 
bows. The  apostle  of  the  Germans  had  be- 
come a  great  spiritual  family  chief  in  Ger- 
many. 

Clearer  and  clearer  with  the  years  did  the 

161 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


need  become  in  his  soul  of  feeling  as  divine 
everything  charming,  good,  and  heartfelt 
which  the  world  brought  him.  In  such  a 
sense  he  was  always  devout  and  always  wise, 
in  the  open  air,  in  honorable  cheerfulness 
among  his  companions,  when  he  teased  his 
wife,  held  his  children  in  his  arms.  Before 
the  fruit  tree  which  he  saw  hanging  full 
of  fruit,  he  stood  rejoiced  at  the  splendor: 
''If  Adam  had  not  fallen,  we  should  always 
have  admired  all  trees  thus."  A  large  pear 
he  took  with  astonishment  into  his  hand: 
^'Behold,  a  half  year  ago  it  was  deeper 
under  the  earth  than  it  is  long  and  big, 
and  sat  at  the  farthest  tip  of  the  root. 
These  smallest  and  most  insignificant  crea- 
tures are  the  greatest  miracles.  God  is  in 
the  smallest  creature,  for  instance,  in  the 
leaf  of  a  tree  or  a  blade  of  grass."  Two 
little  birds  were  building  their  nests  in  the 
doctor's  garden  and  were  approaching  on  the 
wing  in  the  evening,  often  frightened  by  peo- 
ple passing  by;  he  called  to  them:  "Oh,  you 
dear  little  birds,  do  not  flee,  I  gladly  let  you 
have  your  home,  if  you  could  only  believe  me ! 
But  in  this  way  we  do  not  trust  our  God 
either."  Great  joy  was  to  him  the  society 
of  loyal  men;  then  he  would  drink  his  wine 
contentedly,  the  conversation  would  fly  nim- 

162 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


bly  over  great  and  small  things;  he  would 
pass  judgment  with  splendid  humor  upon 
enemies  and  good  acquaintances,  would 
laugh  and  tell  merry  stories,  and  rub 
with  his  hand  over  his  knees  if  he  got 
Into  discussions — for  this  gesture  was  pecu- 
liar to  him — or  he  would  himself  sing, 
strike  the  lute,  and  get  up  a  class  of  choris- 
ters. What  made  men  honorably  cheerful 
was  dear  to  him;  the  most  splendid  art, 
music;  he  passes  mild  judgment  on  dancing, 
and  spoke — fifty  years  before  Shakespeare — 
well-meaningly  of  the  comedy;  for,  he  said. 
It  taught,  like  a  mirror,  how  each  one  is  to 
bear  himself. 

When  he  sat  together  thus  with  Melanch- 
thon,  then  Maglster  Philip  was  the  gentle 
one,  the  scholar,  who,  doubtless,  added  at 
times  the  wise  qualification  to  his  rugged 
friend's  too  hazardous  assertions.  If  the 
conversation  then  concerned  rich  people,  and 
Mrs.  Kathe  could  not  refrain  from  remark- 
ing In  longing  manner:  "If  my  husband  had 
been  so  minded,  he  would  have  become 
very  rich,"  Melanchthon  would  decide,  full 
of  earnestness:  "That  Is  Impossible;  for 
those  who  strive  thus  for  the  general  welfare 
cannot  follow  up  their  advantage."  There 
was,  however,  one  subject  on  which  both  men 

163 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


liked  to  attack  each  other.  Melanchthon 
was  a  great  friend  of  astrology,  and  Luther 
looked  upon  this  science  with  sovereign  con- 
tempt; Luther,  on  the  other  hand,  had  come 
to  the  conviction,  thru  his  method  of  Biblical 
exegesis — alas,  and  thru  secret  political  anx- 
ieties— that  the  end  of  the  world  was  near. 
That,  again,  seemed  very  doubtful  to  the 
scholarly  Melanchthon.  When,  therefore, 
Melanchthon  began  to  talk  about  celestial 
signs  and  aspects,  and  explained  Luther's 
successes  from  the  fact  that  he  was  born 
under  the  sign  of  the  sun,  Luther  would  cry 
out:  "I  do  not  set  such  high  value  on  your 
Sol.  I  am  a  farmer's  son,  my  father,  grand- 
father, great-grandfather  were  genuine  farm- 
ers." *Tes,"  retorted  Melanchthon,  "even 
in  the  village  you  would  have  become  a  lead- 
ing man,  a  magistrate,  or  a  head  servant  over 
the  others."  "I,  however,"  cried  Luther  vic- 
toriously, "have  become  a  bachelor  of  arts, 
a  master  of  arts,  a  monk,  that  is  not  to  be 
read  in  the  stars;  after  that  I  attacked  the 
pope,  and  he,  me  in  return;  I  took  a  nun  to 
wife  and  have  had  several  children  with  her; 
who  has  read  that  in  the  stars!"  And  again 
Melanchthon  would  continue  in  his  astrolog- 
ical interpretations,  begin  with  Emperor 
Charles,  and  declare  that  this  lord  was  des- 

164 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


tined  to  die  In  the  year  1584.  Then  Luther 
would  burst  out  vigorously:  *'The  world 
won't  last  as  long  as  that.  For  If  we  de- 
feat the  Turk,  the  prophecy  of  Daniel  Is 
fulfilled  and  at  an  end.  Then  the  judgment 
day  Is  certainly  at  hand.'^ 

How  charming  he  Is  as  father  In  his  fam- 
ily. As  his  children  stood  before  the  table 
and  looked  with  all  zeal  upon  the  peaches 
and  other  fruit,  he  said :  "Whoever  wants  to 
see  the  Image  of  one  rejoicing  In  hope  has 
here  the  real  copy.  Oh,  that  we  might  look 
upon  the  judgment  day  so  joyously!  Adam 
and  Eve  probably  had  much  better  fruit,  ours 
are  mere  crab-apples  In  comparison.  The 
snake,  too,  I  believe,  was  at  that  time  the 
most  beautiful  creature,  friendly  and  amia- 
ble; even  now  it  wears  Its  little  crown,  but 
after  the  curse  It  lost  Its  feet  and  Its  beauti- 
ful body."  Thus  he  watched  his  three-year- 
old  little  son,  who  was  playing  and  chattering 
to  himself:  "This  child  Is  like  an  Intoxicated 
person.  It  does  not  know  that  It  Is  living,  and 
yet  lives  on  securely  and  merrily,  runs  and 
jumps.  Such  children  like  to  be  In  large, 
expansive  rooms,  where  they  have  room." 
And  he  drew  the  child  to  himself:  "You  are 
our  Lord  God's  little  fool,  under  His 
grace  and  forgiveness  of  sins,  not  under  the 

165 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


law;  you  have  no  fear,  are  safe,  and  do  not 
worry  about  anything;  the  manner  in  which 
you  do  things  is  without  corruption.     The 
parents  at  all  times  love  the  youngest  chil- 
dren the  most  dearly;  my  little  Martin  is  my 
dearest  darling;  such  little  children  need  the 
parent's  care  and  love  most.     On  that  ac- 
count the  love  of  the  parents  always  simply 
passes  downward.  How  must  Abraham  have 
felt,  as  he  wanted  to  sacrifice  his  youngest 
and  dearest  son;  he  probably  said  nothing 
about  It  to  Sarah.     This  commission  was 
probably  disagreeable  to  him.''    His  beloved 
daughter,  Magdalene,  lay  sick  unto  death,  he 
lamented  then :   *'I  love  her  very  much,  but, 
dear  God,  since  it  is  your  will  that  you  wish 
to  take  her  from  here,  I  will  be  glad  to  know 
her  with  you.    Magdalene,  my  daughter,  you 
like  to  stay  here  with  your  father,  and  are 
glad  to  pass  to  the  Father  yonder."     Then 
the  child  said,   "Yes,  dear  father,  as  God 
wills."     And,  as  she  was  dying,  her  father 
fell  upon  his  knees  before  the  bed,  wept  bit- 
terly, and  prayed  that  God  might  deliver  her. 
Then  she  fell  asleep  in  her  father's  presence. 
And  as  the  people  came  to  help  bury  the 
dead  body,  and  addressed  the  doctor  accord- 
ing to  custom,  he  said :  "I  am,  you  know,  joy- 
ous in  spirit,  but  my  flesh  will  not  take  part 

166 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


therein;  parting  troubles  one  beyond  all 
measure.  It  is  strange  to  know  that  she  Is 
certainly  In  peace  and  well,  and,  In  spite  of 
all,  still  be  so  sad." 

His  domlnus,  or  Lord  Kathe,  as  he  liked  to 
call  his  wife  In  letters  to  his  friends,  had  soon 
developed  Into  an  excellent  housekeeper.  And 
she  had  much  trouble.  Small  children,  her 
husband  often  sickly,  a  number  of  boarders, 
masters  of  arts  and  poor  students;  a  house  at 
all^  times  open,  in  which  learned  and  distin- 
guished guests  were  seldom  lacking;  and,  In 
addition,  a  small  sum  to  run  the  house, 
and  a  husband  who  would  give  rather  than 
take,  who  even  assailed.  In  his  zeal  to 
give  alms,  at  one  time  when  she  was  lying  In, 
the  children's  silver  gifts  from  their  god- 
parents. Luther  can,  for  Instance,  not  ad- 
vance eight  florins  in  the  year  1527  for  his 
former  prior  and  friend  Briesger.  With  sad- 
ness he  writes  to  him:  "Three  little  silver 
cups  (wedding  presents)  are  pawned  for  50 
florins,  the  fourth  is  sold  again,  the  year  has 
brought  100  florins  of  debts.  Lucas  Cranach 
does  not  want  to  accept  my  security  any 
more,  in  order  that  I  may  not  ruin  myself 
altogether."  A  few  times  Luther  declines 
gifts,  even  such  as  the  ruler  of  his  district 
offers  him;  It  seems  that  the  consideration  of 

167 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


wife  and  children  gave  him,  however,  some 
sense  of  economy  In  his  last  days.  When  he 
died,  his  legacy  amounted,  with  approximate 
valuation,  perhaps  to  8000  or  9000  florins,  In 
which  are  included  a  little  farm,  a  large  gar- 
den, two  houses;  that  was  certainly  espe- 
cially due  to  Frau  Kathe.  From  the  manner 
in  which  Luther  treats  her,  we  see  how  happy 
his  home  life  was.  When  he  makes  allusion 
to  the  rapid  talking  of  women,  he  had  little 
right  to  do  so,  for  he  himself  was  by  no 
means  a  man  who  could  be  called  sparing  of 
words.  When  she  heartily  rejoices  in  being 
able  to  serve  all  kinds  of  fish  from  the  little 
pond  of  her  garden,  and  the  doctor  is  again 
thoroly  rejoiced  at  her  joy  and  does  not  fail 
to  append  a  pleasant  observation  in  regard 
to  the  good  fortune  of  contentedness.  Or 
when  she  sometimes  tires  of  the  reading  In 
the  psalter  and  tells  him  that  she  heard 
enough  of  the  Holy  One,  that  she  read  much 
daily  and  could  also  talk  about  it,  only  God 
wished  that  she  should  act  In  accordance  with 
It,  and  the  doctor  heaves  a  sigh  at  her  sensi- 
ble answer :  *'In  this  way  weariness  of  God's 
word  begins;  nothing  but  new  books  will 
come,  and  the  Scriptures  will  again  be  thrown 
in  the  corner."  But  this  firm  relation  be- 
tween two  good  persons  was,  for  considera- 

163 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


ble  time,  not  without  secret  pain.  We  can 
only  surmise  what  was  gnawing  at  the  wo- 
man's soul,  if  Luther,  in  dangerous  illness, 
took  his  last  farewell  of  her  even  in  the  year 
1527,  with  the  words:  "You  are  my  wedded 
wife,  you  shall  certainly  consider  yourself 
that.'' 

In  the  same  manner  as  with  his  dear  ones 
Luther  dealt  also  with  the  high  powers  of  his 
faith.  All  the  good  figures  of  the  Bible  were 
to  him  like  loyal  friends;  his  vivid  imagina- 
tion had  brought  their  characters  close  to 
him,  and  he  liked  to  paint  their  conditions 
with  the  true-heartedness  of  a  child.  As  Veit 
Dietrich  asked  him  what  kind  of  a  person  the 
apostle  Paul  had  been,  Luther  answered 
quickly:  "He  was  an  insignificant,  lean  little 
man  as  Philip  Melanchthon."  A  charming 
picture  was  to  him  the  Virgin  Mary.  "She 
was  a  fine  girl,"  said  he  with  admiration; 
"she  must  have  had  a  good  voice."  And  the 
Redeemer  he  liked  best  of  all  to  imagine  as 
a  child  with  His  parents,  as  he  carries  the 
dinner  to  His  father  in  the  lumber  yard;  and 
as  Mary,  when  He  stays  too  long,  asks, 
"Where,  pray,  have  you  been  so  long,  little 
boy?"  Not  upon  the  rainbow  in  glory,  not 
as  a  fulfiller  of  the  law  is  one  to  imagine  the 
Savior,  that  conception  is  for  man  too  ex- 

169 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


alted  and  fearful;  only  as  a  poor  sufferer  who 
lives  among  sinners  and  dies  for  them. 

His  God  was  to  him  too,  out  and  out,  Host 
and  Father.  He  liked  to  become  absorbed  in 
the  economy  of  nature.  He  indulges  in  ob- 
servations, full  of  astonishment,  as  to  how 
much  wood  God  must  have  to  provide.  *'No 
one  can  calculate  just  what  God  needs  merely 
to  feed  the  sparrows  and  useless  birds  which 
cost  Him  in  one  year  alone  more  than  the 
king  of  France  has  in  revenue.  And  let  one 
now  Imagine  the  rest.  God  understands  all 
trades.  In  His  tailor  shop  He  makes  the 
stag  a  coat  that  lasts  a  hundred  years;  as  a 
cobbler.  He  gives  It  shoes  for  its  feet,  and 
with  the  sun  He  Is  a  cook.  He  could,  indeed, 
become  rich  If  He  wished  to.  If  He  stopped 
the  sun,  shut  up  the  air,  If  He  threatened  the 
pope,  emperor,  bishops,  and  doctors  with 
death  as  soon  as  they  did  not  pay  Him  on 
the  spot  a  hundred  thousand  florins.  Since 
He,  however,  does  not  do  that,  we  are  un- 
grateful, nasty  fellows.''  And  he  reflects  seri- 
ously as  to  where  the  means  of  support  for 
so  many  people  come  from;  old  Hans 
Luther  had  asserted  that  there  were  more 
human  beings  than  sheaves  of  grain;  the  doc- 
tor believed,  to  be  sure,  that  more  sheaves 
grew  than  human  beings,  but  yet  more  human 

170 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


beings  than  shocks  of  grain;  the  shock  of 
grain,  however,  yields  scarcely  a  bushel,  "and 
from  that  a  human  being  can  surely  not  live 
thru  the  whole  year."  And  if  God  often 
punishes  the  Godfearing  man  more  than  the 
godless.  He  acts,  in  his  opinion,  like  an  ear- 
nest master  of  the  house,  who  punishes  his 
son  oftener  than  the  bad  servant,  but  secretly 
collects  for  his  son  a  treasure  for  a  legacy; 
the  servant  he  finally  thrusts  from  the  door. 
And  joyously  he  draws  the  conclusion:  "If 
our  Lord  God  can  pardon  me  that  I  have  pro- 
voked Him  probably  for  twenty  years  with 
reading  of  masses.  He  can  also  pardon  me 
for  taking  a  good  drink  In  His  honor  some- 
times. Let  the  world  interpret  It  as  It 
wishes." 

He  Is  also  much  surprised  that  God  Is  so 
much  enraged  at  the  Jews.  "For  fifteen  hun- 
dred years  they  have  been  praying  with  ear- 
nestness and  zeal,  as  their  little  prayer  books 
show,  and  He  does  not  disclose  Himself 
unto  them  with  a  syllable.  If  I  could  pray 
In  the  way  In  which  they  pray,  I  would  give 
two  hundred  florins'  worth  of  books  for  It. 
O  dear  God,  punish  with  pestilence  rather 
than  keep  so  silent!" 

Like  a  child  Luther  prayed  every  morning 
and  evening,  often  during  the  day,  yes,  while 

171 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


eating.  Prayefrs  that  he  knew  by  heart  he  said 
again  and  again  with  warm  devotion,  prefer- 
ably the  Lord's  Prayer;  then  he  would  recite 
to  his  God  the  shorter  catechism;  the  psalter 
he  always  carried  with  him  as  a  little  prayer 
book.  When  he  was  filled  with  passionate 
anxiety,  his  prayer  became  a  storm,  a  strug- 
gle with  God,  whose  power,  greatness,  and 
holy  simplicity  it  is  hard  to  compare  with 
other  human  emotions.  Then  he  was  the 
son  who  lay  full  of  despair  at  the  feet  of  his 
Father,  or  the  loyal  servant  who  appeals  to 
his  prince.  For  his  conviction  was  unshak- 
able that  God's  resolves  could  be  influenced 

J  by  asking  and  urging.  And  so,  outpouring  of 
the  emotions  alternates  in  his  prayer  with 
complaint,  yes,  with  earnest  remonstrances. 

.It  has  often  been  reported  how  he  brought 
^    Melanchthon,  sick  unto  death,  back  to  life 

)  again  at  Weimar  in  the  year  1540.  When 
Luther  arrived,  he  found  Magister  Philippus 
in  the  act  of  passing  away,  without  conscious- 
ness, with  eyes  dim.  Luther  was  greatly 
frightened  and  said,  "God  forbid!  How  the 
devil  has  disfigured  this  body!"  Then  he 
turned  his  back  to  the  company  and  stepped 
to  the  window,  as  he  liked  to  do  when  he 
prayed.  "Here,"  Luther  himself  said  later, 
"our  God  had  to  suffer  at  my  hands;  for 

172 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


I  had  nothing  more  to  do  with  Him,  and  Im- 
portuned Him  with  all  the  promises  of 
prayer  that  I  could  relate  from  the  Holy 
Scriptures,  so  that  he  had  to  listen  to  me,  if 
In  fact,  I  should  have  trust  In  His  promises." 
Thereupon  he  seized  Melanchthon  by  the 
hand:  *'Be  comforted,  Philip,  you  will  not 
die."  And  Melanchthon  began  straightway 
to  draw  breath  under  the  charm  of  his  strong 
friend,  and  obtained  consciousness  again. 
He  was  restored. 

As  God  was  the  source  of  all  good  things, 
so,  in  Luther^s  mind,  the  devil  was  the  pro- 
ducer of  the  harmful  and  bad.  Luther  sprang 
from  a  hut  In  which  the  old  fear  of  the 
spirits  of  the  pine  forest  and  the  dark  crevice 
In  the  earth,  which  was  considered  as  en- 
trance to  the  metal  veins,  was  still  strong  and 
alive.  The  imagination  of  the  boy  had  cer- 
tainly often  been  occupied  with  obscured  tra- 
ditions of  the  belief  In  heathen  gods.  He 
was  accustomed  to  feel  mysterious  powers  In 
the  terrors  of  nature  as  in  the  life  of  men. 
As  he  became  a  monk,  such  remembrances  of 
childhood  assumed  the  gloomy  figure  of  the 
Biblical  devil;  but  the  busy  tempter  who  was 
lurking  everywhere  for  the  life  of  man, 
always  retained  in  Luther's  belief  much  of 
the  character  of  the  old  Germanic  pagan 

173 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


spirits.  In  Luther's  speeches  which  his 
guests  wrote  down,  the  devil  still  produces 
the  harmful  storms;  an  angel,  however,  the 
good  winds,  as  the  giant  eagles  once  did  from 
the  edge  of  the  world  with  the  beat  of  their 
wings;  he  sits  as  a  water  sprite  under  the 
bridge  and  draws  girls  into  the  water,  with 
whom  he  lives  In  wedlock.  He  serves  in  the 
cloister  as  a  family  spirit,  kindles  the  fire  as 
a  cobold;  lays,  as  a  dwarf,  his  exchange  chil- 
dren in  the  cradles  of  human  beings;  entices, 
as  a  nightmare,  the  sleepers  to  mount  upon 
the  roof,  and  storms,  as  a  hob-goblin,  in  the 
chambers.  Chiefly  thru  this  last  activity  did 
he  disturb  Luther  several  times.  To  be  sure, 
the  ink  stain  on  the  Wartburg  is  not  sufli- 
clently  attested ;  but  Luther  could,  indeed,  tell 
of  an  unpleasant  noise  which  Satan  made  In 
that  very  place  In  the  night  time  with  a  sack 
of  hazelnuts.  Also  In  the  cloister  at  Witten- 
berg, while  Luther  was  studying  In  the  re- 
fectory, the  devil  continued  making  a  noise 
in  the  *'KIrchenholle"  below  until  Luther 
gathered  up  his  books  and  went  to  bed. 
Later  he  was  provoked  that  he  had  not  de- 
fied the  "Hanswurst." 

About  this  kind  of  devils  he  was  not  much 
concerned;  the  evil  spirits  that  work  thus 
he  called,  to  be  sure,  bad  devils.    His  opinion 

174 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


was  that  there  are  countless  devils.  ^'Not 
all  are  Inferior,  bread-seeking  devils,  but 
country  devils  and  prince  devils,  which  have 
thoroly  tried  and  trained  themselves  for  a 
very  long  time,  perhaps  for  more  than  five 
thousand  years,  and  have  become  most  wise 
and  cunning."  *'We,"  he  said,  "have  the  big 
devils  that  are  doctors  of  theology;  the  Turks 
and  Papists  have  bad  and  inferior  devils 
that  are  not  theological,  but  legal  devils." 
From  them  came  all  the  evil  on  earth,  sick- 
ness— Luther  had  great  suspicions  that  the 
dizziness  which  had  plagued  him  a  long  time 
was  not  natural — conflagration — where  a 
fire  starts  a  little  devil  is  always  sitting  be- 
hind it  and  blowing  into  the  flame,  failure 
of  crops,  and  war;  "and  if  God  had  not  given 
us  the  dear  holy  angels  as  guards  and  arque- 
busiers  that  lie  encamped  about  us  like  a  bul- 
wark formed  by  the  wagons  and  carriages 
of  an  army,  it  would  soon  be  up  with  us." 
And  as  Luther  was  quickly  ready  to  paint 
things  characteristic,  he  knew,  too,  concern- 
ing the  devil  that  he  was  haughty  and  could 
not  endure  contemptuous  treatment.  He, 
therefore,  liked  to  give  the  advice  to  drive 
him  away  thru  mockery  and  derisive  ques- 
tions. Satan  was  also  a  sad  spirit  and  could 
not  stand  joyous  music  at  all. 

175 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


But  the  most  fearful  activity,  according 
to  Luther's  conception,  was  exercised  by  the 
devil  in  the  soul  of  man.  There  he  instilled 
impure  thoughts,  but  also  doubt,  melancholy, 
and  depression.  Everything  which  the 
thoughtful  Luther  proclaimed  with  such 
firmness  and  joy  lay  first  with  dreadful  power 
upon  his  conscience.  Especially  at  night 
when  he  awoke,  did  the  devil  stand  mali- 
ciously at  his  couch  and  whisper  fearful 
things  to  him;  then  his  spirit  would  wrestle 
for  freedom,  often  for  a  long  time  in  vain. 
Every  new  search  in  the  Scriptures,  every  im- 
portant sermon  on  a  new  theme  threw  him 
again  into  struggles  of  conscience.  Then, 
it  is  true,  he  would  get  into  such  ex- 
citement that  his  soul  became  incapable  of 
systematic  thinking,  and  trembled  for  days 
in  anxiety.  As  the  question  of  the  monks 
and  nuns  was  occupying  his  attention, 
a  passage  in  the  Bible  came  in  his  way, 
which,  as  he  believed  in  his  excitement,  made 
him  in  the  wrong.  His  heart  sank  within 
him,  he  was  almost  strangled  by  the  devil. 
Bugenhagen  then  visited  him.  Luther  led 
him  out  into  the  corridor  and  showed  him 
the  threatening  words.  And  Bugenhagen, 
probably  affected  by  his  friend's  haste,  began 
to  doubt,  too,  without  surmising  the  great- 

176 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


ness  of  the  torture  that  Luther  was  enduring. 
Only  then  was  Luther  frightened.  Again  he 
passed  a  fearful  night.  The  next  morning 
Bugenhagen  stepped  in  again.  "I  am  very 
angry,"  he  said,  "not  until  now  did  I  look 
at  the  text  carefully.  Why,  the  passage  has 
quite  a  different  sense."  "And  It  Is  true," 
Luther  related  later,  "It  was  a  ridiculous  ar- 
gument. Yes,  ridiculous  for  him  who  Is  in 
his  own  senses  and  not  assailed  by  tempta- 
tions." 

He  often  complained  to  his  friends  con- 
cerning the  horrors  of  these  struggles  that 
the  devil  caused  him.  "He  has  never  from 
the  beginning  been  so  enraged  and  angry  as 
now  at  the  end  of  the  world."  Luther  did 
not  tire  censuring  the  pope  as  antichrist,  and 
the  papal  conduct  as  devilish.  He,  however, 
who  looks  more  carefully,  will  recognize  be- 
hind this  hatred  of  the  devil  also  the  inde- 
structible piety  with  which  the  man's  loyal 
heart  was  bound  to  the  old  church.  What  be- 
came a  disturbance  for  him  was  often  only 
pious  memories  from  the  days  of  his  youth, 
which  stood  In  the  most  glaring  opposition 
to  the  changes  which  he  as  man  had  ex- 
perienced. 

For  no  man  is  entirely  transformed  by  the 
great  thoughts  and  deeds  of  the  years  of  his 

177 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


manhood.  We  ourselves  do  not  become  new 
thru  new  acts,  our  inner  life  abides  in  the 
sum  of  all  the  thoughts  and  feelings  that  we 
have  ever  had.  He  who  is  chosen  by  fate 
to  do  the  greatest  new  things  by  destroying 
great  old  things,  strikes  to  pieces  at  the  same 
time  a  part  of  his  own  life.  He  must  violate 
duties,  in  order  to  fulfill  greater  duties.  The 
more  conscientious  he  Is,  the  deeper  does  he 
feel,  too,  in  his  heart  the  incision  which  he 
has  made  In  the  order  of  the  world.  That 
is  the  secret  pain,  yes,  the  sorrow  of  every 
great  historical  character.  There  are  few 
mortals  who  have  felt  this  agony  as  deeply 
as  Luther.  And  the  greatness  about  him  Is 
just  the  fact  that  he  was  never  prevented  by 
such  grief  from  doing  the  most  courageous 
deeds.  To  us,  however,  this  appears  as  a 
tragical  factor  In  his  entire  life. 

And  another  factor,  the  most  critical  for 
him,  lay  In  the  position  which  he  himself  had 
to  take  toward  his  doctrine.  The  authority 
of  the  Scriptures  only  had  he  left  his 
nation,  with  fervor  he  clung  to  Its  words  as 
to  the  last  firm  anchor  of  the  human  race. 
Before  him  the  pope,  together  with  his  hie- 
rarchy, had  Interpreted,  misinterpreted,  sup- 
plemented the  words;  now  he  was  In  the 
same  position.    He,  together  with  a  circle  of 

178 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


dependent  friends,  had  to  lay  claim  to  the 
privilege  of  correctly  understanding  the 
words  of  the  Scriptures  and  applying  them 
properly  to  the  life  of  his  time.  That  was  a 
superhuman  task,  and  he  who  took  It  upon 
himself  had  to  fall  of  necessity  a  victim  to 
some  of  the  abuses  which  he  himself  had  so 
grandly  attacked  In  the  Catholic  church. 
Firmly  knit  and  steel-like  was  the  structure 
of  his  spirit;  he  was  created  a  ruler,  as  ever 
mortal  man  was;  but  it  was  just  the  gigantic 
and  daemonic  element  of  his  will  power  that 
had  to  make  him  at  times  a  tyrant.  If  he, 
after  all,  practised  tolerance  on  several  Im- 
portant occasions  with  inner  self-mastery  or 
with  Inner  freedom,  that  was  only  the  bless- 
ing of  his  good  nature,  which  asserted  itself 
here  too.  But  often  he  became  the  pope 
of  the  Protestants.  For  him  and  his  people 
no  choice  was  left.  He  has  been  censured 
In  recent  times  for  doing  so  little  to  draw  the 
laymen  Into  co-operation  by  means  of  a  con- 
stitution of  elders.  Never  was  a  reproach 
more  unjust.  That  which  was  possible  in 
Switzerland,  In  the  case  of  rugged  peasant 
communities,  was  at  that  time  quite  infeaslble 
in  Germany.  Only  the  citizens  of  the  larger 
towns  embraced  enough  Intelligence  and 
power  to  control  the  Protestant  clergymen; 

179 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


but  almost  nine-tenths  of  the  Evangelicals  in 
Germany  were  oppressed  country  people,  for 
the  most  part,  indifferent  and  reluctant,  and, 
since  the  Peasants*  War,  intractable ;  the  new 
church  had  to  force  its  discipline  upon  them 
as  upon  spoiled  children.  Let  him  who 
doubts  this,  look  upon  the  results  of  the  visi- 
tations and  mark  the  reformers'  unceasing 
complaints  concerning  the  rudeness  of  their 
poor  parishes.  But  still  other  matters 
cramped  the  great  man.  The  ruler  over  the 
souls  of  the  German  people  lived  in  a  little 
town  among  poor  university  professors  and 
students,  In  a  weak  community  of  which  he 
often  had  cause  to  complain.  He  was  not 
spared  all  the  sufferings  of  German  narrow- 
mindedness,  the  odious  conflict  with  small 
scholars  and  clumsy  neighbors;  and  there 
was  much  in  his  character  that  made  him 
especially  sensitive  to  It.  No  human  being 
bears  in  himself  with  Impunity  the  feeling  of 
being  a  preferred  Instrument  of  God;  he 
who  lives  in  that  way,  no  longer  fits  into  the 
narrow  and  small  structure  of  civil  society. 
Had  Luther  not  been  modest  in  the  depths 
of  his  heart,  of  an  unending  good-hearted- 
ness  in  his  intercourse  with  others,  he  would 
have  had  to  appear  quite  unendurable  to  the 
sober,  intelligent  people  who  stood  coolly  be- 

180 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


side  him.  Thus  It  happened  only  at  times 
that  he  got  Into  violent  conflict  with  the  citi- 
zens of  the  town  magistracy,  with  the  law 
faculty  of  his  university,  with  the  counsellors 
of  his  ruler.  He  was  not  always  right,  but 
he  almost  always  carried  his  wish  thru  against 
them,  for  seldom  did  anyone  venture  to  defy 
the  force  of  his  wrath.  In  addition  came, 
too,  severe  bodily  sufi^erlngs.  During  the 
last  years  of  his  life  his  huge  strength  was 
also  exhausted  by  their  frequent  return;  he 
felt  that  very  bitterly,  and  prayed  unceas- 
ingly to  his  God  that  He  might  take  him  unto 
Himself.  As  yet  he  was,  according  to  his 
years,  no  old  man;  but  he  seemed  old  to  him- 
self, very  old,  and  uneasy  In  a  foreign, 
earthly  world.  Just  these  years,  not  rich  In 
great  events,  rendered  grievous  by  political 
and  town  quarrels,  filled  with  embltterment 
and  gloomy  hours,  will,  such  Is  our  hope,  fill 
everyone  with  sympathy  who  glances  without 
bias  over  the  life  of  the  great  man.  The 
fire  of  his  life  had  warmed  his  entire  nation, 
called  forth  In  millions  the  beginnings  of  a 
higher  human  development,  unto  millions  fell 
the  blessing;  he  himself  felt  In  the  end  al- 
most nothing  but  the  affliction !  At  one  time 
he  had  so  joyously  hoped  to  die  as  a  martyr; 
now  he  wished  for  himself  the  peace  of  the 

181 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


grave,  as  a  strong,  tired  workman  of  many 
years.    That,  too,  is  a  tragic  human  lot. 

The  greatest  grief,  however,  which  he 
felt,  lay  in  the  position  of  his  doctrine  to  the 
life  of  the  nation.  He  had  built  a  new  church 
upon  his  pure  Gospels,  had  given  the  spirit 
and  conscience  of  his  nation  incomparably 
greater  content.  A  new  life  began  to  bloom 
about  him,  so  much  more  prosperity,  so 
many  good  arts,  painting,  and  music  on 
stringed  instruments,  pleasant  enjoyment, 
finer  culture  in  the  middle  class.  And  yet 
something  was  hovering  in  the  German  air, 
mysterious,  threatening  danger.  The  rulers 
angrily  at  variance,  foreign  forces  marching 
against  the  nation,  the  emperor  from  Spain, 
the  pope  from  Rome,  the  Turk  from  the 
Mediterranean;  the  fanatics  and  factious 
spirits  powerful,  the  hierarchy  not  yet  fallen. 
Yes,  his  Gospels  themselves,  had  they  united 
the  nation  to  greater  harmony  and  power? 

The  lack  of  peace  had  become  only 
greater,  the  future  of  his  church  was  to  be 
dependent  on  the  worldly  interests  of  sep- 
arate German  princes.  And  he  knew,  too, 
the  best  among  them!  Something  dreadful 
was  approaching;  the  Scriptures  were  to  be 
fulfilled,  the  judgment  day  was  near.  Back 
of  that,  however,  God  would  build  up  a  new 

182 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


world,  more  beautiful,  purer,  full  of  peace 
and  blessing,  a  world  in  which  there  was  to 
be  no  longer  any  devil.  In  which  every  human 
soul  would  feel  more  joy  over  the  blossom 
and  fruit  of  the  new  heavenly  trees  than  the 
present  generation  rejoices  over  gold  and 
silver;  In  which  the  most  beautiful  of  all 
arts,  music,  should  resound  In  melodies  much 
more  charming  than  the  most  magnificent 
song  of  good  choristers  upon  this  earth. 
There  the  good  human  being  would  find  all 
the  dear  ones  again  that  he  had  here  had 
and  lost. 

More  and  more  powerful  became  in  him 
the  desire  of  man  for  ideal  purity  of  ex- 
istence. When  he  expected  the  end  of  the 
world.  It  was  obscured  remembrances  of  the 
German  people  from  the  most  distant  past 
that  were  still  hanging  on  the  sky  of  the  new 
reformer.  And  yet  It  was  at  the  same  time 
a  prophetic  premonition  of  a  near  future. 
The  end  of  the  world  was  not  being  pre- 
pared, but  the  Thirty  Years'  War. 

Thus  he  died.  As  the  carriage  with  his 
body  drove  thru  the  Thurlnglan  districts,  all 
the  bells  In  town  and  village  were  rung,  and 
the  people  thronged  with  sobs  to  his  coffin. 
It  was  a  good  portion  of  the  German  na- 
tional strength  that  was  encoffined  with  this 

183 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


one  man.  And  Philip  Melanchthon  said  be- 
fore his  remains  in  the  church  of  the  castle  at 
Wittenberg:  * 'Everyone  who  learned  to  know 
him  well  must  bear  witness  to  the  fact  that 
he  was  a  very  kind  man,  gracious  in  all  words, 
friendly,  and  charming,  and  not  at  all  bold, 
impetuous,  headstrong,  or  quarrelsome.  And 
there  was,  withal,  a  seriousness  and  a  cour- 
age in  his  words  and  gestures,  the  like  of 
which  should  be  in  such  a  man.  His  heart 
was  true  and  without  guile.  The  harshness 
which  he  made  use  of  in  writings  against  the 
enemies  of  his  doctrine  did  not  come  from  a 
quarrelsome  and  malicious  heart,  but  from 
great  earnestness  and  zeal  for  the  truth.  He 
showed  very  great  courage  and  bravery,  and 
did  not  let  a  little  rustle  frighten  him  right 
away.  He  was  not  intimidated  by  threats, 
danger,  and  fear.  He  had,  too,  such  excel- 
lent, keen  intelligence  that  he  alone  could 
see  sooner  than  others  in  confused,  dark, 
and  perplexing  troubles  what  was  to  be  done 
and  how.  He  was  not,  as  some  probably 
thought,  so  inattentive  either  for  him  not 
to  have  noticed  how  matters  stood  every- 
where with  the  government.  He  knew  very 
well  how  the  government  is  constituted,  and 
looked  with  especial  zeal  upon  the  sense  and 
will  of  the  people  with  whom  he  had  to  deal. 

184 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


We,  however,  must  preserve  a  constant,  un- 
ending memory  of  this  our  dear  father  and 
not  drop  him  from  our  hearts/' 

Such  was  Luther.  A  daemonic  nature, 
stubborn  and  sharply  defined  his  mind,  pow- 
erful and  moderate  his  desires,  pure  his  mo- 
rality, full  of  love  his  heart.  Because  no 
other  human  power  besides  him  arose,  strong 
enough  to  become  a  leader  of  the  nation,  the 
German  nation  has  for  centuries  lost  its 
sovereignty  upon  earth.  The  sovereignty  of 
the  Germans  in  the  realm  of  the  spirit,  how- 
ever, rests  upon  him. 

In  order  now,  at  the  conclusion,  to  let  him 
himself  speak,  permit  a  letter  to  Elector 
Frederic  the  Wise  to  be  made  known  here, 
written  in  the  days  when  Luther's  whole 
power  was  the  most  powerfully  concen- 
trated. The  cautious  prince  had  com- 
manded him  to  remain  on  the  Wartburg,  be- 
cause, according  to  his  belief,  he  could  not 
protect  him  at  Wittenberg;  for  the  anger  of 
the  Duke  of  Saxony,  his  cousin,  would  Insist 
straightway  on  the  execution  of  the  imperial 
ban  against  Luther.  Then  Luther  wrote  to 
his  ruler: 

*'Most  serene,  noble  Elector,  most  gracious 
Lord!  The  letter  and  kindly  fears  of  your 
princely  grace  reached  me  Friday  evening, 

185 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


when  I  intended  to  ride  off  on  Sunday  morn- 
ing. That  your  princely  grace  has  the  best 
of  intentions  needs,  of  course,  with  me 
neither  proof  nor  testimony;  for  I  consider 
myself  convinced  of  it,  as  far  as  human 
knowledge  reaches. 

"In  my  cause,  however,  most  gracious  lord, 
I  shall  answer  thus :  Your  princely  grace 
knows,  or,  if  you  do  not,  then  let  yourself 
be  herewith  informed,  that  I  do  not  have  the 
Gospels  from  men,  but  only  from  heaven, 
thru  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  so  that  I  might 
well  have  called  and  written  myself,  as  I  in- 
tend to  do  from  now  on,  too,  a  servant  and 
evangelist.  That  I,  however,  offered  my- 
self for  a  hearing  and  trial,  was  done,  not 
because  I  had  doubt  about  the  truth,  but 
from  exceeding  humility,  for  the  purpose  of 
alluring  the  others.  I  have  done  enough 
for  your  princely  grace  that  I  left  my  place 
for  this  year  to  serve  your  princely  grace. 
For  the  devil  knows  very  well  that  I  did  not 
do  it  on  account  of  any  fear.  He  well  saw 
my  courage  as  I  arrived  at  Worms;  for  if  I 
had  known  that  so  many  devils  had  lain  in 
ambush  for  me  as  there  are  tiles  upon  the 
roofs,  I  should,  nevertheless,  have  jumped 
into  the  midst  of  them  with  joy. 

"Now,  Duke  George  is  still  very  unlike 

186 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


even  only  a  single  devil.  And  since  the 
Father  of  unfathomable  mercy  has  made  us 
thru  the  Gospels  joyous  lords  over  all  devils 
and  death,  and  has  given  us  the  riches  of 
assurance  so  that  we  may  say  to  Him,  *Dear- 
est  Father,'  your  princely  grace  can  see  for 
yourself  that  it  would  be  the  highest  disgrace 
to  such  a  Father  if  we  did  not  believe  that 
we  are  lords,  too,  over  Duke  George's  wrath. 
Of  myself  I  well  know  that  I  would  ride  into 
his  Leipzig — may  your  princely  grace  pardon 
me  for  my  foolish  words — altho  it  rained 
nothing  but  Duke  Georges  for  nine  days,  and 
each  one  was  nine  times  more  furious  than  this 
one  is.  He  considers  my  Lord  Jesus  a  man 
made  of  straw;  my  Lord  and  I  can,  indeed, 
endure  that  for  some  time.  I  will,  however, 
not  conceal  from  your  princely  grace  that  I 
have  prayed  and  wept  for  Duke  George  not 
once,  but  very  often,  that  God  might  wish  to 
enlighten  him.  I  will  also  entreat  and  weep 
once  more,  after  that  never  again.  And  I 
beg  that  your  princely  grace  may  also  be  will- 
ing to  help  and  have  entreaties  made,  in  or- 
der to  see  whether  we  cannot  turn  the  evil 
from  him,  which — O  Lord  God !  is  pressing 
in  upon  him  without  ceasing.  I  would 
quickly  strangle  Duke  George  with  a  word 
If  that  would  end  it. 

187 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


^'Permit  this  to  be  written  to  your  princely 
grace  with  the  intention  of  having  you  know 
that  I  am  coming  to  Wittenberg  under  a  very 
much  higher  protection  than  that  of  the  elec- 
tor. I  do  not  have  in  mind  either  to  desire 
protection  from  your  princely  grace.  Yes, 
I  am  of  the  opinion,  I  should  protect  your 
princely  grace  more  than  you  could  protect 
me.  Even  if  I  knew  that  your  princely  grace 
could  and  would  protect  me,  I  should  not 
come;  no  sword  can  be  of  any  help  or  aid 
in  this  cause;  God  must  here  work  alone, 
without  any  human  assistance.  Therefore, 
he  who  has  the  greatest  faith  will  here  offer 
the  most  protection. 

"Because  I  now  notice  that  your  princely 
grace  is  still  very  weak  in  faith,  I  can  in  no 
way  look  upon  your  princely  grace  as  the 
man  who  could  protect  or  save  me. 

"Since  your  princely  grace  now  desires  to 
know  what  you  are  to  do  in  this  matter,  espe- 
cially since  you  think  that  you  have  done 
much  too  little,  I  shall  answer  in  humble 
manner  that  your  princely  grace  has  already 
done  too  much  and  should  do  nothing  at  all. 
For  God  will  not  and  cannot  endure  your, 
or  my  worry  and  urging.  He  wishes  to  see 
It  left  to  Himself,  to  Himself  and  no  other. 
Let  your  princely  grace  direct  yourself  ac- 

188 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


cording  to  that. 

"If  your  princely  grace  believes  this,  you 
will  be  safe  and  have  peace;  If  you  do  not 
believe,  I  shall,  nevertheless,  believe,  and 
must  let  the  unbelief  of  your  princely  grace 
be  tortured  with  the  anxiety  which  all  unbe- 
lievers suffer  with  justice.  Since  I  then  do 
not  want  to  obey  your  princely  grace,  you  are 
excused  before  God  if  I  should  be  captured 
or  killed.  Before  human  beings  your  princely 
grace  is  to  bear  yourself  thus.  You  are  to 
be  obedient  to  your  superiors,  and  let  Impe- 
rial majesty  administer  body  and  possessions 
In  your  towns  and  lands,  as  is  fitting  accord- 
ing to  imperial  order,  and  shall  by  no  means 
resist  or  offer  opposition,  or  seek  resistance 
or  any  hindrance  against  the  authority,  if 
the  latter  wishes  to  capture  or  kill  me.  For 
no  one  is  to  violate  the  authority  except  the 
one  who  established  it,  else  it  is  revolt  against 
God.  I  hope,  however,  that  they  will  make 
use  of  reason  and  realize  that  your  princely 
grace  was  born  in  too  noble  a  cradle  that 
you  yourself  should  become  a  jailer  in  my 
case.  If  your  princely  grace  leaves  the  gate 
open  and  keeps  the  free  conduct  of  an  elec- 
tor, in  case  my  enemies  should  themselves 
come  to  fetch  me,  or  their  embassadors,  your 
princely  grace  has  satisfied  obedience.    They 

189 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


could,  you  know,  not  demand  more  of  your 
princely  grace  than  that  they  wish  to  learn 
Luther's  abiding  place  from  your  princely 
grace.  And  they  shall  obtain  that  without 
your  princely  grace's  anxiety,  toil,  and  dan- 
ger. For  Christ  has  not  taught  me  to  be  a 
Christian  for  the  Injury  of  another.  If  they, 
however,  will  be  so  unreasonable  and  order 
that  your  princely  grace  should  yourself  lay 
hands  on  me,  I  will  then  say  what  Is  to  be 
done.  I  will  make  your  princely  grace  secure 
from  harm  and  danger  In  body,  goods,  and 
soul  In  my  cause,  whether  your  princely  grace 
believes  this  or  does  not  believe  It. 

"Herewith  I  commend  your  princely  grace 
to  the  grace  of  God;  concerning  the  rest  we 
will  speak  as  soon  as  It  is  necessary.  For 
this  letter  I  have  hastily  despatched,  in  order 
that  your  princely  grace  might  not  be  filled 
with  sadness  at  the  report  of  my  arrival; 
for  I  shall  and  must  become  to  everyone  a 
cause  of  comfort  and  not  of  harm.  If  I  want 
to  be  a  real  Christian.  It  Is  a  different  man 
from  Duke  George  with  whom  I  am  dealing; 
He  knows  me  very  well,  and  I  know  Him 
pretty  well.  If  your  princely  grace  had  faith, 
you  would  see  God's  glory.  Because  you, 
however,  do  not  yet  have  faith,  you  have 
not  yet  seen  anything.    To  God  be  love  and 

190 


DOCTOR  LUTHER 


praise  forever.  Amen.  Written  at  Borna, 
at  the  house  of  the  guide,  on  Ash  Wednes- 
day, in  the  year  1522. 

"Your  princely  grace's  humble  servant, 

"Martin  Luther." 

191 


BIOGRAPHIC  AND  GEOGRAPHIC 
NOTES* 


Albert  of  Brandenburg  (1490-1545)  was  elected  Arch- 
bishop and  Elector  of  Mainz  when  still  a  young  man. 
In  1515  he  began  to  supervise  the  sale  of  indulgences  in 
Germany,  receiving  as  compensation  half  the  pro- 
ceeds. 

Hicronymus  Aleander,3.n  Italian  by  birth,  was  sent  by 
the  pope  to  Germany  in  1520  to  work  against  Luther. 
From  Charles  V  he  obtained  an  edict  to  burn  Luther's 
writings  in  the  Netherlands. 

Nicolans  Amsdorf  (1483-1565),  a  close  friend  and  co- 
worker of  Luther,  was  professor  of  theology  at  Witten- 
berg, accompanied  Luther  to  Worms  in  1521,  and  as- 
sisted him  in  the  translation  of  the  Bible. 

Annaberg,  a  small  mining  town  near  Chemnitz,  in 
Saxony. 

Ariovisius,  the  first  German  of  history  who  tried  to 
check  the  Roman  invasion.  Julius  Caesar  defeated  him 
in   58   B.C. 

Arminius,  "the  liberator  of  Germany  from  the  Roman 
yoke."  who  checked  the  advance  of  the  Romans  into 
Germany  by  destroying  their  army  under  Varus  in  the 
Teutoburg  Forest,  in  9  A.D. 

Augsburg,  a  city  of  southern  Germany,  once  im- 
perial. 

Black  Forest  is  a  mountain  district  in  southwestern 
Germany. 

Katharina  von  Bora  became  Luther's  wife. 

Borna  lies  south  of  Leipzig.  Luther  stopped  here 
March  5th,  at  the  house  of  the  guide,  Michael  von  der 
Strassen. 

Bishop  of  Brandenburg  (Hieronymus  Scultelus)  had 
supervision  over  the  Church  and  University  of  Witten- 
berg. 

John  Bugenhagen  (1485-1558)  came  to  Wittenberg 
in   1521.     He  was  a  very  active  co-worker  of  Luther, 


y^ 


*  Hereby  I   acknowledge  my  debt  to  the  notes  in   F.   P.  Good- 
rich's "Doktor  Luther"    (Ginn  &  Co.). 

193 


BIOGRAPHIC  AND  GEOGRAPHIC 


a  teacher  at  the  university  and  a  preacher  in  the  town. 
He  did  much  to  help  organize  the  new  church  in  Ger- 
many. 

Cajetano  or  Cajetan,  Thomas  de  Vio  of  Gaeta  (Ca- 
jeta),  was  made  cardinal,  and  soon  after  was  sent  by 
the  pope  as  a  legate  to  Germany  to  bring  Luther  back 
to  fellowship  with  the  church. 

Amhrosius  Catharinus,  a  Roman  Dominican,  wrote  a 
book  against  Luther,  whom  it  caused  "now  laughter 
and   now   disgust." 

Charles  V  (1500-1558),  king  of  Spain  in  1516,  and 
emperor  of  the  Holy  Roman  Empire  in  1519,  dreamed 
at  one  time  of  world  power.  He  had  wars  with  the 
French,  the  Turks,  and  the  Protestants.  In  1555  he 
abdicated  in  favor  of   Philip  H. 

Coburg  lies  near  the  center  of  Germany.  In  a  castle 
nearby  Luther  stayed  while  the  Diet  of  Augsburg,  of 
1530?  was  in  session. 

Cochldus  (1479-1552),  one  of  Luther's  most  active 
enemies,  was  really  Johann  Dobeneck  of  Wendelstein 
by  name,  having  changed  his  name  into  Latin. 

Lucas  Cranach  (1472-1553),  the  famous  German 
painter,  who  painted  portraits  of  Luther  and  many 
other  contemporaries. 

Veit  Dietrich  was  for  several  years  Luther's  aman- 
uensis and  constant  companion. 

John  Mayer  of  Eck  in  Swabia  is  generally  known  as 
Eck.  By  15 10  he  was  professor  of  theology  at  Ingol- 
stadt,  and  was  renowned  for  his  scholastic  learning  and 
for  his  skill  as  a  disputant.  In  1518  he  attacked  Luther's 
theses  and  became  involved  in  a  controversy  with  Karl- 
stadt,  which  led  to  the  famous  Disputation  of  Leipzig, 
in  which  Eck  met  both  Karlstadt  and  Luther.  Luther 
saw  on  this  occasion  how  greatly  he  was  at  variance 
with  the  church. 

Hieronymus  Emser  (1477-1527)  was  one  of  the  most 
prominent  of  Luther's  opponents.  He  entered  the  serv- 
ice of  Duke  George  of  Saxony,  and  after  the  Disputa- 
tion of  Leipzig  he  took  a  hostile  attitude  to  Luther. 

Erasmus  of  Rotterdam  (1465-1536)  was  the  leading 
representative  of  Humanism.  His  most  famous  writ- 
ings are  "Adagia,"  a  collection  of  proverbs ;  "Encomium 
Morise,  or  Praise  of  Folly,"  a  satire  against  all  classes, 

194 


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BIOGRAPHIC  AND  GEOGRAPHIC 


but  especially  against  the  monks  and  the  dignitaries  of 
the  church,  and  the  "Colloquies."  In  1516  he  did  the 
Reformation  a  kind  service  by  publishing  the  first 
printed  edition  of  the  Greek  New  Testament.  With 
men  of  action  like  Luther  and  Hutten  he  had  little  sym- 
pathy. 

Franconia  lies  in  south  central  Germany,  being  now 
a  part  of  Bavaria. 

Frederic  the  Wise  (1463-1525),  an  intelligent,  pious, 
and  benevolent  ruler,  did  much  to  promote  the  Ref orrna- 
tion  thru  his  patronage  of  learning  and  his  protection 
of  Luther.    (Cf.  the  note  on  Meissen.) 

Duke  George  (1471-1539),  an  earnest,  efficient  prince, 
was  one  of  the  most  important  of  Luther's  enemies. 
He  was  ready  to  reform  the  church  thru  "legitimate 
powers,"  but  he  was  not  willing  to  follow  Luther. 
(Cf.  the  note  on  Meissen.) 

Gotha  is  a  town  of  considerable  significance  in  cen- 
tral Germany. 

Richard  von  Greifenklau,  Archbishop  of  Trier,  (1467- 
1531).  played  a  prominent  part  as  statesman  and  as 
soldier. 

Hermunduri  formed  an  old  German  tribe  that  first 
appeared  in  the  Thuringian  Forest. 

Hohenstaufcn.  The  Hohenstaufen  emperors  ruled 
from  1 138  to  1252;  Frederic  I  (Barbarossa)  and  Fred- 
eric II  were  two  of  the  greatest  rulers  of  the  Holy 
Roman  Empire. 

Horselberg  is  a  mountain  ridge  near  Eisenach  in  cen- 
tral Germany. 

John  Huss  (1370-1415),  the  famous  Bohemian  Re- 
former, adopted  and  taught  the  views  of  the  English 
Reformer,  WickliflFe.  For  this  he  was  excommunicated 
and  his  writings  burned.  He  continued  writing  and 
preaching.  While  appearing  before  the  Council  of 
Constance  to  vindicate  himself  publicly,  he  was  thrown 
into  prison,  and  finally  condemned  and  burned  at  the 
stake   for  adhering  to  his  teachings. 

Niklas  von  Hussittctc  was  an  enthusiastic  follower  of 
Huss  and  a  leader  of  the  Hussites. 

Ulrich  von  Hutten  (1488-1523)  was  a  knight  Human- 
ist, and  national  poet.  Next  to  Luther  he  is  the  most 
interesting  figure  of  the  German  Reformation.     In  him 

195 


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BIOGRAPHIC  AND  GEOGRAPHIC 


Humanism  and  the  Reformation  were  united,  and  the 
national  character  of  the  movement  found  its  best  ex- 
pression.    He  made  the  movement  a  national  cause. 

Jena,  a  small  university  town  in  central  Germany. 

Justus  Jodocus  Jonas  (1493-1555),  a  friend  and  co- 
worker of  Luther,  studied  at  Erfurt,  accompanied 
Luther  to  Worms  in  1521,  was  later  active  at  Witten- 
berg as  professor  and  preacher,  and  assisted  Luther  in 
the  translation  of  the  Bible.  He  was  with  Luther  on 
his  last  journey  from  Halle  to  Eisenach  in  1546. 

Karlstadt  (Andreas  Bodenstein,  1483-1541)  was  pro- 
fessor of  theology  at  Wittenberg,  and  an  enthusiastic 
follower  of  Luther's  ideas  of  reform.  While  Luther 
was  at  the  Wartburg,  Karlstadt  became  for  a  time  the 
leading  spirit  of  Wittenberg.  Being  carried  away  by 
the  fanatic  "prophets"  of  Zwickau,  who  considered 
themselves  inspired,  and,  therefore,  wanted  no  priests 
or  Bible,  he  preached  violent  changes.  Luther  was  in 
this  way  brought  back  to  Wittenberg,  restored  order, 
and  drove  out  the  fanatics.  Thru  this  Karlstadt  be- 
came an  opponent  of  Luther.  He  is  called  Karlstadt 
after  his  native  town. 

Lehnin  lies  near  Potsdam. 

Lichtenfels  is  situated  in  central  Germany,  near  Bam-v 
berg. 

Mansfeld,  the  name  of  a  town  in  the  district  over 
which  the  counts  of  Mansfeld  ruled.  Eisleben,  Luther's 
native  town,  also  belonged  to  this  county. 

Markolfus  was  a  comic  popular  character  of  the 
fifteenth  and  sixteenth  centuries. 

Maximilian  I  was  a  very  popular  emperor.  During 
his  reign  (1493-1519)  the  House  of  Hapsburg  became 
one  of  the  great  powers  of  Europe.  To  the  national 
movement,  led  by  Luther  against  Rome,  he  remained 
indifferent.  He  could  not  appreciate  great  political  and 
religious  reforms.  In  1500  he  gave  his  consent  to  the 
establishment  of  an  "administrative  council,"  a  triumph 
of  the  estates  in  their  strife  with  the  emperor. 

Meissen.  In  1485  the  Saxon  lands  were  divided  be- 
tween the  two  brothers,  Ernest  and  Albert.  The  latter 
received  the  eastern  part,  including  the  margraviate  of 
Meissen :  the  former  got  the  western  part,  Wittenberg, 
Thuringia,  etc.     Ernest  was  succeeded  by  Frederic  the 

196 


BIOGRAPHIC  AND  GEOGRAPHIC 


Wise,   Luther's    friend;   Albert's    successor    was    Duke 
George,  Luther's  enemy. 

Philip  Mclanchthon.  The  name  is  the  Greek  equiva- 
lent of  the  German  name,  Schwarzerd.  He  was  born  in 
Baden,  in  1497.  Having  devoted  himself  to  the  study 
of  the  humanities,  especially  to  Greek,  he  became  pro- 
fessor 01  Greek  at  Wittenberg  in  1518.  He  was  an 
intimate  friend  and  fellow-worker  of  Luther,  aiding 
him  especially  in  the  translation  of  the  Bible  (1522-1534). 
In  the  year  1521  he  published  an  able  defence  of  the 
Reformed  doctrines,  and  in  1530  he  drew  up  the  famous 
"Augsburg  Confession."  He  died  in  1560,  after  having 
been  the  recognized  leader  of  the  Reformation  in  Ger- 
many after  Luther's  death. 

Karl  von  Miltitc,  a  Saxon  nobleman,  was  sent  by 
Leo  X  as  nuncio  to  Germany  in  order  to  conciliate 
Luther.  They  met  in  Altenburg,  near  Leipzig,  in  1519. 
Mohra  is  a  small  place  in  central  Germany. 
Thomas  Murncr  (i475-i537)  was  the  most  important 
German  writer  among  Luther's  enemies.  His  satires 
are  witty  and  often  very  sharp  and  harsh. 

Mutianus  Riifus    (Konrad    Mudt,    1472-1526)    was  a 
very  refined  and  cultured  German  Humanist. 
Naumburg  is  a  town  close  to  Leipzig. 
Nimpschcn  is  located  in  Saxony. 
Oberweimar  lies  near  Weimar. 

Pfeffercorn,  a  converted  Jew,  was  the  tool  of  the 
Dominicans  of  Cologne. 

Philip,  Landgrave  of  Hesse  (1504-1567),  an  able  Ger- 
man prince  and  a  constant  friend  of  the  Protestant 
cause,  introduced  the  Lutheran  religion  into  his  terri- 
tory in  1526,  and  was  a  leading  member  of  the  Prot- 
estant League. 

Pima,  a  small  town,  lies  near  Dresden. 
Johann  Rcuchlin  (1455-1522)  was  the  recognized 
leader  of  the  German  Humanists.  In  1506  he  published 
"the  first  text-book  of  the  Hebrew  language  that  had 
sprung  up  on  Christian  soil."  He  opposed  the  Domini- 
cans in  their  eflPort  to  suppress  Judaism  by  burning  all 
Hebrew  literature  except  the  Old  Testament. 

Schmalkaldcn  lies  in  central  Germany.  In  1530  the 
Protestant  princes  met  here  to  discuss  measures  of 
defence  against  the  decree  to  exterminate  all  the  Prot- 

197 


BIOGRAPHIC  AND  GEOGRAPHIC 


estants,  passed  at  the  Diet  of  Augsburg  during  the 
summer  of  the  same  year.  The  League  of  Schmalkald 
was  then  formed.  The  Schmalkald  Articles  were  drawn 
up  in  1537,  which  were  really  a  declaration  of  war 
against  the  papacy.  In  1546  Charles  V  made  war 
against  the  princes  and  came  off  victor  during  the  fol- 
lowing year. 

Jerome  Schurf  (1481-1554),  a  Swiss  by  birth,  but  a 
professor  of  law  at  the  University  of  Wittenberg.  He 
was  a  close  friend  and  staunch  supporter  of  Luther. 
Augustin  was  his  brother,  teaching  medicine  at  the 
same  university. 

Frans  von  Sickingen  (1481-1523)  was  won  to  Luther's 
side  by  Ulrich  von  Hutten.  He  was  the  most  pow- 
erful German  knight  of  the  period. 

Spalatin  or  Spalatinus  (George  Burkard  of  Spalt, 
1484-1545),  statesman,  historian,  and  theologian,  came 
into  frequent  touch  with  Luther  when  he  was  secretary 
of  Frederic  the  Wise.  From  1527  he  was  active  in  or- 
ganizing the  Lutheran  Church.  His  writings  on  the 
Reformation  have  been  a  source  of  important  informa- 
tion in  reference  to  that  epoch. 

Johann  von  Staupitz  (?-i524)  became  acquainted  with 
Luther  while  vicar-general  of  the  Augustinian  Order  for 
Germany.  For  his  kind  counsel  Luther  was  always 
very  grateful.  His  sister  was  a  nun  who  subsequently 
left  the  cloister. 

St.  Gall,  the  seat  of  a  famous  monastery  near  Con- 
stance in   Switzerland. 

John  Tauler  (ca.  1300-1361),  a  German  mystic  who 
preached  in  Strassburg.  He  taught  the  complete  union 
of  the  soul  with  God,  believing  that  man  attained  the 
higher  religious  life  only  thru  personal  conversion  and 
the  communion  of  the  soul  with  God. 

John  Tetael  (i455?-i5i9),  the  well-known  peddler  of 
indulgences. 

Thuringia  Is  a  term  applied  to  quite  a  large  district 
in  the  center  of  Germany,  about  as  we  use  "New 
England." 

Duke  Ulrich  (1487-1550)  was  driven  out  of  the 
duchy  of  Wiirtemberg  in  15 19,  and  again  restored  in 
1534.  He  introduced  the  Reformed  religion  into  his 
lands. 

198 


BIOGRAPHIC  AND  GEOGRAPHIC 


JohnVcsalia  (1410-1481)  was  called  thus  from  the 
name  of  his  birthplace,  Oberwesel,  on  the  Rhine.  His 
real  name  was  John  Ruchrath.  He  wrote  a  "Disputa- 
tion Against  Indulgences,"  declaring  them  to  be  wrong 
and  refusing  to  teach  anything  in  any  way  conflicting 
with  the   faith  of   the   Scriptures. 

Wartburg,  a  castle  near  Eisenach  in  central  Germany. 

John  Wcssel  (1419-1489),  a  professor  of  theolog^y,  was 
greatly  admired  by  Luther.  After  having  taken  his 
stand  and  made  known  his  views,  Luther  found  doc- 
trines in  Wessel's  writings  that  were  much  like  his 
own. 

Wintcrthur,  a  town  near  Zurich. 

Worms  is  a  city  on  the  Rhine. 

Wurtemberg,  then  a  duchy,  has  been  a  kingdom  in 
southwestern  Germany  since  the  days  of  Napoleon. 

Ulrich  Zwingli  (1484-1531),  the  famous  Swiss  Re- 
former, differed  from  Luther  in  character,  life,  and 
aims.  The  general  tendency  of  his  reforms  was  quite 
like  that  of  Luther's,  and  their  life  experiences  were 
not  unlike  either.  He  had  a  famous  meeting  with 
Luther  and  Melanchthon  at  Marburg  in  central  Ger- 
many in  1529.  They  could  not  agree  as  to  the  Eucha- 
rist. 

199 


TABLE  OF  DATES 


1415.  John  Huss  was  burned  at  the  stake  in  Con- 
stance,   Switzerland. 

1450.     Printing  was  invented  by  John  Gutenberg, 

1453.     The  Turks  made  conquest  of  Constantinople. 

1456.  University  of  Greif swald  was  founded ;  1457, 
the  University  of  Freiburg;  1460,  the  University  of 
Basel. 

1466.  The  first  complete  German  Bible  was  printed 
at  Strassburg,  being  a  translation  of  the  Vulgate. 

1472.  University  of  Ingolstadt  was  founded;  1477, 
the  University  of  Tiibingen. 

1483.     Luther  was  born  at  Eisleben  on  November  10. 

1492.     America  was  discovered. 

1494.  Sebastian  Brant  wrote  his  "Ship  of  Fools,"  a 
didactic,  satiric  poem  that  ridicules  the  weaknesses 
and  sins  of  the  time.  It  shows  the  moral  baseness  of 
the  days  before  the  age  of  the  Reformation. 

1495.  Diet  of  Worms.  An  attempt  was  made  to  re- 
form the  constitution  of  the  empire :  der  ewige  Land- 
friede,  or  the  perpetual  peace  of  the  land,  was  pro- 
claimed ;  an  Imperial  Chamber  Court  was  established. 

1496-15 17.     Maximilian  waged  war  in  Italy. 

1497-1501.  Luther  attends  school  in  Magdeburg  and 
Eisenach. 

1500.  Diet  of  Augsburg.  A  Reichsregiment,  or  Ad- 
ministrative Council,  was  established.  This  gave  the 
estates,  for  a  brief  period,  more  power  in  their  deal- 
ings with  the  emperor. 

1501-05.  Luther  was  a  student  at  the  University 
of  Erfurt. 

1502.     University   of   Wittenberg  was    founded. 

1505.  Luther  entered  the  Augustinian  Convent  at 
Erfurt. 

1506.  University  of  Frankfurt  on  the  Oder  was 
founded;  Reuchlin  published  the  first  Hebrew  gram- 
mar. 

1507.  Luther  was  ordained  priest. 

1508.  Luther  was  transferred  to  Wittenberg,  where 
he  was  given  a  chair  at  the  university. 

1509.  Erasmus's  "Praise  of  Folly"  and  "Manual  of 

200 


TABLE  OF  DATES 


the  Christian  Soldier"  were  published.  These  two 
famous  books  were  written  against  the  abuses  of 
Catholicism,  but  from  the  standpoint  of  the  scholar  and 
of  learning.  Reuchlin's  conflict  with  the  Dominicans 
of  Cologne  began.  He  was  accused  of  too  much  sym- 
pathy with  the  Jews. 

1511-12.  Luther  made  his  journey  to  Rome,  where 
he  was  shocked  by  the  worldliness  of  the  pope  and 
clergy. 

1512.  Luther  became  Doctor  of  Theology.  Murner 
published  his  "Exorcism  of  Fools,"  a  didactic,  satiric 
poem  of  the  nature  of  Brant's  "Ship  of  Fools." 

1513.  Leo  X  was  chosen  pope. 

1 5 14.  Reuchlin  published  the  "Epistolce  clarorum 
znroriim,"  expressing  the  sympathy  of  the  greatest  men 
of  his  time  with  him  in  his  conflict  with  the  Domin- 
icans. 

1515-17.  The  "Epistolce  obscurorum  virorum"  ap- 
peared, forming  a  very  bitter  and  powerful  attack  upon 
the  church  party.  They,  doubtless,  helped  the  coming 
of   the   Reformation. 

1516.  Erasmus  published  his  edition  of  the  Greek 
New  Testament.  Luther  preached  against  the  sale  of 
indulgences. 

1 517.  Tetzel  began  to  sell  indulgences.  On  October 
31  Luther  nailed  his  ninety-five  theses  against  the  sale 
of  indulgences  on  the  door  of  the  Wittenberg  church. 

1518.  Luther  met  Cajetanus  at  Augsburg.  On  this 
occasion  the  latter  said  to  Luther.  "Recant  and  see 
thine  error ;  thus  the  pope  wills  it  and  not  otherwise, 
whether  thou  like  it  or  not." 

151Q.  The  death  of  Emperor  Maximilian  occurred  on 
January  12:  Charles  V  was  elected  emperor  on  June  28. 
In  June  the  famous  Disputation  of  Leipzig  took  place. 
Luther  and  John  Eck  discussed  the  question  of  the 
divine  right  of  the  papacy.  Luther  here  sealed  his 
breach  with  Rome. 

1520.  Luther  published  his  three  famous  pamphlets  : 
(i)  "To  the  Christian  Nobles  of  the  German  Nation: 
On  the  Improvement  of  the  Christian  Body;  (2)  Con- 
cerning the  Babylonian  Captivity  of  the  Church;  (3) 
On  the  Liberty  of  a  Christian."  He  burned  the  papal 
i)ull   on    December    10.     Hutten    declared    war   against 


201 


TABLE  OF   DATES 


Rome,  and  embraced  Luther's  cause.  In  November 
Hutten  appealed  to  his  countrymen  in  German ;  his 
writings  had  so  far  appeared  in  Latin. 

1521.  The  Diet  of  Worms  opened  on  January  28; 
Luther  was  summoned  in  March ;  he  arrived  at  Worms 
on  April  16,  appeared  before  the  Diet  on  April  17  and 
18,  and  left  Worms  again  on  April  26.  On  May  4 
Luther  was  taken  captive  and  conducted  to  the  Wart- 
burg.  The  edict  of  the  Diet  was  pronounced  against 
Luther  on  May  26.  Hutten  made  known  his  espousal 
of  Luther's  cause  in  his  famous  song,  "Ich  hab's 
gewagt,"  or  "I  have  dared."  In  this  year  appeared,  too, 
Hutten's  "A  Little  Book  of  Discourses,"  a  strong  at- 
tack on  clerical  abuses. 

1522.  Murner,  a  powerful  opponent  of  the  Reforma- 
tion, published  his  witty  and  bitter  satire,  "Concerning 
the  Great  Lutheran  Fool."  He  tried  his  best  to  make 
the  Reformation  ridiculous.  The  radical  "prophets" 
at  Wittenberg  caused  Luther's  return  to  Wittenberg 
on  March  6.  They  declared  themselves  inspired  of 
God,  and  wished  to  overturn  the  existing  order  of 
things.     Karlstadt  was  won  over  by  them. 

1523.  Hans  Sachs  wrote  his  poem,  "The  Nightin- 
gale of  Wittenberg,"  in  which  he  showed  himself  an 
ardent  admirer  of  Luther. 

1524.  First  Lutheran  hymn  book  was  published,  con- 
taining twenty-five  hymns,  eighteen  of  which  were  by 
Luther. 

1525.  The  Peasants'  War  broke  out.  On  June  13 
Luther  married  Katharina  von  Bora,  a  former  nun. 

1526.  At  the  first  Diet  of  Spires  Germany  was  di- 
vided into  Catholic  and  Protestant  states  on  the  prin- 
ciple of  cujus  regio,  ejus  religio.  Albrecht  Diirer  painted 
his   famous   Four  Apostles. 

1527.  The   University   of   Marburg   was    founded.^ 
1529.    The    Conference    of    Marburg    was    called    in 

October,  to  bring  about  harmony  between  Luther  and 
Zwingli.  They  differed  on  the  Eucharist,  and  could 
come  to  no  understanding.  Using  Psalm  46,  Luther 
composed  "Ein  feste  Burg  ist  unser  Gott,"  "A  mighty 
fortress  is  our  God,"  which  formed  the  battle  hymn 
of  the  Reformation.  Luther  prepared  his  German 
catechism. 


202 


TABLE  OF  DATES 


1530.  "The  Augsburg  Confession,"  written  by 
Melanchthon,  to  give  expression  to  the  Protestant 
faith,  was  read  at  the  Diet  of  Augsburg.  In  December 
the  Protestant  princes  formed  the  League  of  Schmal- 
kald,  to  keep  their  Catholic  opponents  from  taking  the 
lands  that  had  fallen  into  the  possession  of  the  Prot- 
estants thru  the  change  of  faith  on  the  part  of  the 
land  owners.    Luther  translated  the  "Fables  of  ^sop." 

1534.  Luther's  complete  translation  of  the  Bible 
appeared. 

1 541.    Luther's  Bible  was  revised. 

1544.     University  of   Konigsberg  was   founded. 

1546.  Luther  died  in  his  native  town  on  February  18. 
The  Schmalkald  W'ar  began. 

1547.  The  armies  of  Charles  V  won  the  battle  of 
Miihlberg,  which  brought  about  the  end  of  the  Schmal- 
kald War. 

1555.  Charles  V  abdicated,  discouraged  and  despond- 
ent. The  Peace  of  Augsburg  was  signed,  which  al- 
lowed the  Protestants  to  retain  all  lands  that  had  come 
to  them  before  the  Treaty  of  Passau  in  1552.  Church 
officers,  changing  their  faith,  were  to  abandon  their 
lands  and  offices ;  each  prince  was  to  decide  the  form 
of  faith  in  his  lands  on  the  principle  of  cujus  regio,  ejus 
religio. 

203 


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Princeton  Theological  Seminary-Speer  Library 


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